


Ethan (A Father Ford, Cipher Son AU)

by orphan_account



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Cipher Son, F/M, Father Ford, Gay, Gravity Falls AU, Human bill, M/M, Magic, Second Summer, axolotl, father ford cipher son au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:26:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 17
Words: 35,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25059223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Many years ago, deep in the multiverse on a post-war planet, Stanford Pines had a family and he was happy. He had a wife named Lena... and a son named Ethan, a green-eyed boy with a talent for building things from the parts they'd scavenge. But when his boy is murdered by Time Police and his wife captured and taken away, Ford can only do one thing, and that's run.Fast forward to the second summer after Weirdmegeddon: Bill returns. He's nothing but a mortal triangle, power-less and now at the hands of Fords mercy. After Dipper discovers a previously hidden cave system in the woods, Fords trek into the rocky formations will change everything. (Not as well written as some of my other fics, as I'm not focused much on it, still, I hope you enjoy it!)
Relationships: Ford Pines/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 9





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Based On A Roleplay

[ **(Song: The Spectre - Alan Walker)** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXqV15gDHp0)

**~**

**Planet Gulara,**

**Dimension E-99,**

**The Jorgan Woods.**

Lena ruffled her son's hair and passed him the hand-woven basket and a small knife she had whittled herself, "Go dig up some veges for dinner, your pick" she smiled, looking over at her husband, now tinkering away at the spaceship he'd built. The entire thing was his pride and joy and it went super fast, much to Ethan's delight. The boy had already crashed it twice in the past. Ethan grinned and raced over to the garden, nestled near their hideaway / lean-to type home behind the house. He dug away at the dirt, only focusing on the sweet potatoes underground. They were his favorite, and if he got to pick, then it meant he got what he wanted. 

He looked up as he heard a whirring noise and his eyes widened as he came nose to nose with the barrel of a gun. "Are you Ethan Pines?" the man asked, adjusting his name tag carefully and looking proud as he puffed out his chest threateningly. Ethan looked down at his basket and smiled, "No, sir. Can I help you, gentlemen?" he asked, knowing full well these men were most likely after his father, it wasn't unknown that his dad was a wanted criminal, he had seen the posters. 

The man grinned, "Don't lie to me, boy, there's no mistaking those apple green eyes" he said, raising the gun at his head. Ethan made a run for it, abandoning the basket of potatoes and avoiding the fire of glowing bullets that chased after him as he made for the house, "MAMA! TIME POLICE! WE HAVE TO GO!" he cried, racing inside and grabbing her arm. Lena dropped what she was holding as he tugged her out of the house and towards the ship. The vehicle perched right side up and ready for flight. 

Stanford had heard the commotion and ran towards them as they neared, checking they were okay before he made for the ship, "Come on! Quickly!" he cried, ushering them forward with a wave of his hand. Ethan followed his father, his heart beating heavily and almost painfully. He wasn't afraid to admit that he was scared. More gun shots rang out and Ethan looked over his shoulder as his mother let out a cry of pain and fell, "JUST GO!" she yelled, clutching her ankle in pain as red blood trickled from the flesh wound. 

Ethan kept going, tears already making it hard for him to see as he kept his dad in his sights. He was almost there!

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_

Time seemed to slow and come to a standstill, and his ears rang with the screaming noises of his own mouth. Ethan stopped running and looked down as he felt the three bullets rip through his back, blood spreading across his oil and dirt stained shirt like a blooming flower. Ford skidded to a stop and turned around, eyes wide in horror and shock as his son sank to his knees, clutching his chest as if that would keep the blood in his body from spilling out. He looked back at the ship and then back at his son, his boy begging him not to go without him as he was surrounded. 

"ETHAN!" Lena screamed, struggling as the men held onto her tightly, not allowing their prisoner to escape their custody, "ETHAN! NO!"

Ethan looked up at the man that came around the front of him, blood trickling between his fingers, warm and wet as he whimpered. He let out a cry of pain as he was grabbed roughly by the shirt and yanked up to greet him at eye level, "Ethan Pines, you'll serve us well" the man sneered, scrambling for something in the depths of his pocket. Ethan felt blood run down his chin and his vision blurred, and frayed at the seams as he watched it drip onto the dying grass below his feet. Ford made a strained noise, but kept going as his boy continued to call for him, tugging open the ship door and slipping inside it. 

_It was much too late now._

"No! Dad! Don't go! Don't leave me!" he begged, his words gargled and strained as he sobbed, "I don't want to die" he whispered, "Please... Please, don't go..." he added, salty tears running down his cheeks as the feeling of abandonment settled in his slowly dying heart. They placed a strange device over his chest, the red light blinking softly in the waning light of the two suns as it embedded into his skin. Ethan watched his father's spaceship disappear into the skies as his eyes slipped closed. The canister clicked, the light turning green... 

And Ethan Pines went limp.


	2. Light

**Planet Earth,**

**Dimension 46'\**

**Gravity Falls, Oregon.**

The beam of light shot up into the sky like a bullet as the statue crumbled around him. Bill Cipher, now mortal and smaller than he had once been, floated down onto the rubble and ruin, and laid there. He was asleep and still, as if the jutting rocks underneath him didn't bother him in the slightest. Stanford Pines sprinted out the door as he saw the beacon and tugged his gun out of his holster, his muddy boots creating indents in the damp earth and leaving behind footprints as he ran through the trees, avoiding tree roots with ease, and the occasional gnome.

He came to a stop at the light source, panting softly and a bit out of breath. Bill Cipher was back, alive, and strangely quiet as his tiny form breathed softly. Ford hurried over and bent down to pick him up, keeping a tight grip on the demon so as not to drop him. 

Bill didn't wake as he trailed back to the Shack, but a small sigh escaped his body as he felt the warm hands cradling him. The demon opened his eye halfway as he came too, his vision blurry as he gazed up at the blue sky above him, fluffy white clouds floating calmly by. Ford looked down at him, obscuring his view of the colourful sky, and he felt his heart skip a beat as he looked up at him. He passed out again as they entered the air-conditioned confines of the Mystery Shack, and Ford quickly hurried down to his lab before the others could notice.

~

Dipper stood up from the sofa with a yawn, and stretched his arms once he had set his cereal bowl down on the floor for Waddles to finish off what he hadn't been able to eat, "Hey Mabes? I'm going for a walk, okay?"

Mabel looked up from her summer homework and smiled at him as her pig scoffed the lot, "Be careful" she replied, waving her pen at him as Waddles climbed up onto the sofa and took Dippers warm spot. He licked the milk and bits of cereal from around his mouth as he settled down comfortably. Dipper reached down and scratched his ears, earning a happy oink of pleasure as he got all the right spots, "Will do!" her twin answered, tying up his shoes and making sure he had his blue journal (and an extra pen) in his hoodie pocket. 

Stan grunted his goodbye and changed the TV channel as Dipper jumped down the steps of the rickety house and landed on the grass. He stopped to breathe in the fresh outdoor air before he made his way to the forest, ready to discover any anomaly that crossed his path. It was no secret that the events of Weirdmegeddon had changed the landscape around them. New caves had appeared not too far from the Shack due to earthquakes that had shaken the land not too long after the twins had left for home that very first Summer. Dipper had, had the opportunity to discover their insides when he had returned. Most led nowhere, some had obstructions in his way, and some had cool looking rocks or objects he'd take back for Ford to examine. The next cave on his list was big but ended up in a long drop down below, and he discovered he would only be able to explore more of it if he rock climbed down it. Without a rope nor a weapon on his person, Dipper Pines would need his Grunkles help.

The first thing that came to his attention when he headed for the exit was the triangle crystals embedded in the walls, most were dark and lifeless and his eyes were strangely blinded to them at a glance. But there was one that seemed to glow and throb softly and it caught his eyes immediately as he looked up at it. It was a bright green and whispered softly to him in incoherent words, as if it held its own soul or some living creature. He took a photo of it with his phone and made a note to return with the right tools to dig it out.

~

Bill opened his eye with a groan and sat up as his head pounded like he'd been partying too hard the night before. The first thing he noticed was the perfectly fitted chain welded on his ankle, the second was his loss of magic, and the third was the fact someone had trapped him in a square bird cage. Ford made his appearance, a grin on his face as he popped up to look at him, "Welcome back to the land of the living! Did you miss me? Admit it you missed me!" he cooed, repeating his once spoken words back to him mockingly. Bills eye frowned at him, "What do you want, Stanford?"

"What do I want? I want you to suffer!"

"Oh no, a revenge story, how tragic, I really don't care" Bill hissed, not looking in the slightest bit amused as he tugged at the chain on his leg. Ford frowned as the demon assessed the metal carefully, probably looking for a weak spot, "You don't care whether I slice you up like a Christmas ham? Make you scream in pain? Make you hurt beyond your wildest nightmares? Like you did me?"

"Nope! And you know why?"

"Why?"

"Because! I'm getting out of here!" the demon cried, standing up and smashing into the bars as hard in an attempt to knock it off the desk. Ford watched him with an amused expression and waited till the cage was near the edge before he put it back and set a bunch of books on top, "Nice try, Bill, but you won't be escaping any time soon"

"LET ME GO! YOU CAN'T KEEP ME IN HERE!" Bill screamed, hitting the bars over and over, despite the pain it was giving him. His sides weren't that strong, and if he kept this up, he'd most likely damage them, or bruise them badly. Ford shook the cage, "Stop that, it's no use, Cipher, just sit down, shut up and behave!"

"I am _not_ a toy! Let me go!!!!"

"Have a hissy fit all you want, you're never escaping, you're powerless, and you're staying here for the rest of however long I think you should suffer for"

"I'LL GET OUT OF HERE! AND WHEN I DO YOU WILL PAY FOR IMPRISONING ME!!"

"Oh, good!! Please, do think of all the ways you'll get revenge... It's not like you deserve this, no, it's not like karma's catching up to you... Or did you never think of the consequences!?"

Bill screamed again, reaching through the metal bars and clawing at him. Ford chuckled at the ridiculous attempt and scoffed, it wasn't as if Bill could harm with those tiny fingers he owned. He put a clear plastic cover over the cage, making sure there would be no spaces for Bill to slip through, even if he managed to free himself. Bill continued to hit the bars with his body, the unrelenting triangle mad as a bull in a room full of red objects.

Ford sighed, "Stop it, you'll damage your bricks, there's no point struggling."

Bills screeched at him, making his ears ring, and he winced and slapped his hands over his ears, "Shut up, or I'll knock you out with a needle!" he growled, hoping that would stop his petty and childish tantrum. Bill didn't quieten at his command. So, in failing to obey him, Ford picked up a small syringe filled with sedatives from his desk drawer and unlocked the cage. He grabbed Bill like a giant would a small human and brought him up to him as he bit and scratched at his hand. Ford uncapped the needle and sank the sharp end into his side. The demon screamed in pain, hitting his fingers with tiny fists as he felt the cool liquid enter his body.

"I warned you, but did you listen? No."

"GO TO HELL, OLD MAN!"

"I'll see you there in a few years."

Bills attack began to slow down, his sloppy and sluggish movements no long hurting him. He went limp as the drugs kicked in and his eye slipped closed, "let... me... go" he whined quietly, his heartbeat pounding in his ears as he sank into the drug-induced darkness. Ford put him back in the cage and shut the door once he had re-chained his ankle,

"Never."


	3. Dark

Bills fingers were bleeding from trying his best to break the chain earlier, the neon purple liquid congealing slowly, meaning it was thankfully healing. Bruises were already appearing all over him, the same strange purple colour as his blood. He'd be sore once he had awoken, unable to move without wincing. "Look what you've done to yourself, Bill, it's pathetic" Ford sighed, beginning to clean him up carefully and wipe away the mess he had made with a few baby wipes. Once he had removed the blood, he applied a cooling disinfectant cream to the wounds from his handy med-kit. Once he was done with that, he cut some bandages into thin strips and wrapped up his tiny hands as best as he could. Bills limbs were too small for the band-aids inside the bet-up white box.

He wrote down what had been happening in his Journal in his own made up language (Fordese), just in case Dipper looked at the recent entries. He didn't want his nephew involved in his issues, even now that that his family knew of Bill's existence and helped defeat him in the past. He wanted them to relax, he would be fine with the burden as he always had been. He sat back down in his desk chair with a sigh and checked the time. It would be roughly an hour or so before lunch and Bill wouldn't be up for a good while.

~

Dipper rushed into the kitchen, having ran the entire way back from the cave he had found in the growing heat. His sister was making lunch under Stan's supervision and trying to avoid his gaze as she shoved cheese, ham and mayo mixed with edible glitter between slices of rye bread. Stan peered over his newspaper at him as he came to a halt, panting and out of breath as sweat trickled down his face in a torrent, "Yeesh, kid, you run a marathon?" his Grunkle asked, cringing and glad he no longer was going through puberty. Dipper grinned, "I was in the woods! And you'll never guess what I found!"

"A rainbow bunny?" Mabel guessed, her eyes sparkling with the crazy possibilities. Her twin shook his head, shaking all the nutty thoughts from her mind, "No, the last cave on my list, it's a recent one, opened up around the same time as that last earthquake you guys had. Anyway, I think this cave system might be Bill related. There were triangles on the walls, made of crystals. I need Fords help!"

"He's down in his lab, as per usual, I'll go get him" Stan replied, putting down his paper and standing up with a crickety-crack of his aging bones. Dipper ran over to the tap and started gulping down water as fast as he could while his sister giggled at him. The old man sighed as he trailed down the creaky hall, and opened the vending machine door with the code still crumbled up in his pocket. His twin had been very twitchy lately over things like knocking and personal space. One didn't simply walk into Fords lab unannounced.

**(A/N: A Made A Meme)**

_Less he attack._

"Ford! The kids want you to spend time with them. Like a normal person" he called out, knocking on the metal door to alert him in case he was asleep from all his work. Ford sprang from his chair and quickly covered Bills cage with another sheet, this one not see-through as the other one was, "C-Coming!" he answered, making sure he looked more presentable before he opened the door and smiled at his twin. Stan rolled his eyes at his awfully scruffy appearance, "Close enough, come on, Pointdexter" he grumbled, heading back upstairs.

When the two got there, not only was lunch now soggy, but the entire kitchen had become a watery mess, the removable hose like tap clutched in Mabel's grip, "Dipper, Mabel, you wanted me?" Ford asked, not bothered at all by the water that was now soaking into Stan's beloved slippers. Mabel pointed to her twin as she put the hose back, "Just Dipper, actually" she replied, sloshing over to the cupboard and grabbing the mop so she could start the cleanup. Dipper wiped the water off his face and fished his thankfully waterproof phone from his pocket, "The last cave had triangle stuff on it, I think it might be Bill related" he said, showing him the glowing crystal photo he had taken. "I didn't go far, but the rest of the cave is down a drop."

Ford nodded, "Alright, I'll get torches and my equipment, it's probably aftershocks of Weirdmageddon that keeps doing this. The ground should settle down soon and we won't have random cave systems popping up. Not that I mind, it's always fun to explore new things in this town, especially when you've seen it all."

Dipper squealed with delight at the prospects of an expedition with his Grunkle and hurried to his room to get changed out of his wet clothes and into something dryer. Ford smiled and quickly frapped together all the equipment they could need, only adding a single rope, just in case it really was Bill related after all. He'd do anything to get his nephew on a different path in life. But the teen idolized him in ways that made it hard for him to change that route. 

Dipper met him at the door once he was ready, bouncing on the balls of his feet with his backpack. Ford finished tugging on his coat and smiled, "Ready?"

"Yes! I wonder what's down there! Maybe Bills stash of weird junk, or like a secret cult or shrine! Or maybe Bills house, that dude never really had a place, did he?"

Ford gave a strained smile, quite unnerved by Dippers bubbly enthusiasm as they headed out. But he nodded and keep his attention on the path, allowing for his rant to tune out. A few minutes later of his incoherent babble and Dipper gently tapped his shoulder as he failed to respond to a question, "Grunkle Ford? Are you okay? I thought you'd be more excited by this... Bills dead remember, this should be fine, it's not like he's going to jump out and yell "Surprise" he explained, doing the jazz hands for effect. 

Ford shook his head, "Sorry, yes, I am excited, it just feels like yesterday that he was- it's fine, I'm fine" he reassured. Dipper put a hand on his arm, "Hey, I get it, that was some scary stuff, but we got through it."

"Exactly."

The two stopped at the cave and Dipper held out his lantern so they could see inside, "Follow me, it's this way!" the boy cried, hurrying into the darkness. Ford followed after him, looking this way and that at the triangle crystals as Dippers light bobbed ahead to guide him. They were simply fascinating, and one could see how this place could be related to a minor triangle demon such as Bill himself. Dipper stopped not too far from the entrance-way and pointed down, "I made it to here before it dipped down, but there's a second tunnel at the bottom, so I thought you could help me get down there so we could explore it more?"

"Good idea" Ford replied, taking off his pack to grab the rope. Dipper looked up at all the crystals glittering under the light of the lantern as he set up, "I'd hate to have been the guy who had to carve all these triangle crystals into the stone walls."

"Yes, that must've taken a very long time" Ford replied, calculating the depth and width of the hole that led down to the other route, "Well, it's not too far down to jump. But you don't know how to do that without breaking your legs, do you?"

Dipper shook his head.

"I could pick you up, but that wouldn't work, I think it might be best if you stay here, then you can pull me back up with this here rope." the scientist spoke, handing him the thick rope with a smile. Dipper frowned, "Wait, I can't go with you?"

"There's no way for two people to get down there without being trapped, and we only have one rope. Next time you can come with and I'll make sure to buy more rope before then."

Dipper sighed in defeat and disappointment, "Fine... just tell me what you find"

"I could borrow your phone and take photos of anything I see? Phones possess that power, do they not?"

Dipper pulled out his phone and turned it on, "Yes, do you know how to use mine?" he asked, clicking on the camera app for him. Ford scoffed, he may not have been able to understand Earth's tech last summer, but he had more than made up for it, "I know where the button to take a picture is, yes" he grumbled, snatching it and putting it in his pocket, "I'll look after it, and if not, I'll buy you a new one"

"Sweet. I'll be waiting here."

Ford gave him the rope to hold and took a few steps back before he leapt off the edge. He landed at the bottom with a roll so as not to damage his legs and stood back up. Dippers eyes sparkled innocently, and he grinned from ear to ear as he dropped his backpack down for him, "Whoa! You have to teach me some of those cool tricks later!" he called down. Ford slung the pack over his shoulder and brushed the dust off his coat, "Of course, but perhaps somewhere less dangerous and without dire consequences."

Dipper chuckled and the old man waved and headed into the smaller tunnel, himself having to duck and weave through the stalagmites and stalactites that had formed on the ceiling and floors. After a while, and maybe a fair few minutes later, Ford began thinking perhaps he should have bought some rations or something as he trekked deeper into the dim darkness. But his thoughts of peanut butter bars and protein packed granola were put on hold as the tunnel expanded into a massive cavern. 

On the wall, in thick coloured paint, was a gigantic mural of Bill, flames coming from both hands and his eye looking down at whoever would look up. Around it, in a circle, were not the simple zodiac symbols he remembered, but a story (of pictures) instead. 

~

Mabel rummaged in the pantry once she had moped up, the soggy sandwiches now being devoured by an ever hungry Waddles, "Grunkle Stan? Where did all the candy go?" she asked, grumbling at the sugar-free shelves of food. Stan adjusted his wet newspaper carefully, "A monster ate it"

"Again!? Aw man, are you sure it wasn't just you?"

"Do I look like I'm lying, or do I look like Life has cheated me?"

"Yeesh, okay, you want me to go buy more? I can steal it for you if you want to be stingy"

Stan pulled out his wallet, "No, here's some money, go be a law-abiding citizen for a change" he grumped, thrusting out the bills to her. Mabel smiled, "Wow, usually you'd be all for it. You want me to get anything particular?" she asked, taking the money from his hand. Stan sniffed, "Toffee peanuts, that way Ford won't eat them" he replied, "Oh, and get him some Jellybeans, the Nyum's brands, he likes those."

Mabel did a silly salute and hurried off, "Will do!"

~

Ford shone the torch up to the images, his eyes racking over them as he tried to find the first part, which was right at the top and thankfully just viewable by his awful eyesight. It happened to be of a boy, eyes as green as granny smith apples and three gaping holes in his chest. Fords heart skipped a beat as he studied it. It looked like Ethan, no, it was Ethan, his now, very long dead son from back when he had been trying to have some sort of life out in the multiverse. In the next picture a few people were carrying his boy, all of them dressed in Time Babies armor and with determined smiles etched upon their stocky faces. He felt his chest tighten as he saw the last image, for there, immortalized in crumbling paint, was Bill Cipher and his son, together, merged, one.

Bill Cipher was Ethan Pines, 

Ethan Pines was Bill Cipher.

His son was alive!

His son was his worst enemy....

_His son._

Ford sank to his knees and sobbed at the injustice of it all, salty tears running down his dusty cheeks and splattering on his coat as he hugged his backpack like a pillow. He felt so alone, so wronged and mistreated. How could they do that to his kid!? They'd turned him into a demon! A Monster!

_This wasn't fair!_

He stood up once he had got his breathing and emotions under control, and wiped his face clean, taking a deep, but strained and shaky breath. He'd have to ask him, explain it to him. Bill would understand, right? It was, after all, his own backstory. 

He took a few pictures of the less noticeable paintings for his nephew before he headed back. Meanwhile, Dipper Pines was waiting for his Grunkles return, leaning up against the wall near the hole with a bored expression as he picked at his nails. His eyes caught the glowing crystal, now fainter than it had been and his previous idea came to mind.

He stood up and took out the Swiss army knife from his jeans pocket, flipping it open to the screwdriver and grinning excitedly. The crystal was surprisingly easy to take from its place in the wall, and he pocketed it once he had removed it, the glow fading away as if satisfied it had been seen. The item was heavy, and the sides shiny and smooth to the touch as his fingers brushed against it. Someone had taken great care to cut the stone perfectly to fit its compartment.

 _"Dipper!"_ Ford called, _"Bring me up, will ya!?"_

Dipper hurried over to the hole and grabbed the rope by his things, wrapping it around his hand and digging his feet into the ground so he'd have more grip to work with, "Are you holding on?" he asked. Ford tugged the rope to show that he was indeed holding on to it, "Yes!"

Dipper pulled as hard as he could, allowing Ford to climb the short way up the long shaft and pull himself up onto the same ground Dipper was standing on. The scientist stood up and handed the boy his phone back as he wiped his nose on his trench coat sleeve.

"Come on then, lets get out of here."


	4. Who Are You Really?

"So what else was down there?" Dipper asked, flicking through the photos as they walked back. Ford was zoning out again, but his ears caught the words and he turned his head to him in acknowledgment, "My guess is that it was a mural for Bill during the settler times, it was empty other than the cave painting in the photos, there was nothing else of interest."

Dipper frowned, "Lame, I was kind of hoping for more" he answered, stuffing his phone back into his pocket. The two were quiet the rest of the way home, the only sound were their footsteps and the occasional clearing of one's throat. Dipper knew something must be up, but his great uncle looked like a wreck and kept zoning out rather than speak to him. He brushed it off, Ford was an adult, he knew what he was doing and it was probably best not to pry into things, anyway. 

_Ford would talk to him if need be._

The two hurried over to the Shack once they reached the clearing and trailed up the steps, and into the kitchen, only to find Stan and Mabel both scoffing candy at the table. Ford chuckled, both of them ready for some food and a break from their adventure, "Why am I not surprised? As soon as we leave you two are off buying candy rather than having a healthy lunch."

"Oh, no! It's the Po-po!" Mabel cried, scooping up a hoard of sweets and making a run for it. She didn't get very far, ending up tripping on her loosened rainbow shoelaces and falling over before she could reach the living room. Stan tried his best to wolf down what was left before the others could steal any, while Dipper helped his sister pick up the fallen goods before Waddles could eat it.

"So, find any aliens?" Stan asked, shoving a piece of raspberry licorice into his mouth. Ford shook his head as he took a small bag of gummy chairs from off the table for himself, "I wish, no, I didn't, sorry to disappoint."

Dipper sat down by Mabel once they had cleaned up, the girl sharing half her stash with him, "It was just a mural thing for those that worshiped Bill back in settler times, according to Ford... I dug out this cool rock though" Dipper explained, taking out the crystal from his pocket, "It turns out those veins of crystals weren't embedded as much into the rock as I had thought. Someone just slid them in."

Ford grabbed it from his hands and turned it over as he studied it underneath the light-bulb he had invented, "You should have told me sooner!" he cried, eyes twinkling with interest. _Oh, he couldn't wait to study this!_

"Hey! That's mine!"

"I'm sorry, Dipper, you can have it back soon, I just need to check something first"

"As long as you give it back with minimal damage, I suppose so"

"I will! Thank you!"

Stan handed him a box of Nyums Jelly Beans as he made for his lab, "Mabel got you these" he said with a smile. Ford chuckled softly as he took the box of his favorite candy, "Thank you, Mabel, now if you'll excuse me, I have a rock to investigate."

~

He set the crystal down on his desk beside Bills cage and munched on a few jellybeans as he thought of what to do next. Bill was still out cold as he removed the cover, the bruising a tad worse than it had been. Sometime during his sleep he had wrapped a hand around one of the many bars, his grip solid. Ford set the candy down and carefully prized his small fingers off, checking the wounds for infection before rubbing ointment on the swelling. Bill winced as he woke, and tried to pull away, but Ford held onto him tightly, "We need to talk, Bill."

The demon peeled his eye open, "Why?" came his soft voice, it was obvious he was still weak from the drugs. Ford let him go once he was done fixing him up, "How did you become immortal?" he asked, pushing the med kit back into his desk drawer as he sat back down. Bill narrowed his swollen eye, "What do you mean, how?"

"You weren't always you, were you?"

Bill gave him a very confused look, "It was a long time ago" he grumped, trying his best to sit up, "I can't remember anymore" he added, wincing in pain as his body screamed at him. Ford cringed, "Please don't move, you'll hurt yourself... You don't remember anything? Nothing at all? You've always been immortal?"

"Well duh, what's with all these questions? It's not like you care" Bill replied, standing up instead. He wobbled on his useless legs as he tried to grab the chain connected to his foot. He was still persistent, still wanting to escape, and Ford could only try his best to get him to calm down and settle.

"I just need to make sure."

Bill grabbed the chain as he fell over, his aching hands protesting the movement as he clung to it, "I don't know!" he cried, looking very annoyed by Stanford's constant questions. He did not understand what Ford was trying to learn, but it sounded as if the man wanted his immortal secrets. He pulled at the chain, hoping that if he applied enough force it would break, but he was small and the chain was thick and no amount of tugging was proving any good results.

"If you carry on doing that, I'll put a cone on you."

"A cone won't fit me!" Bill growled, falling over and gnawing on the chain with his crooked teeth instead. Ford tapped his top angle through the bars, "Stop that!" he ordered, yanking his finger back to avoid being savagely bitten as Bill hissed and snapped at him, "Just accept that you're here!"

"NEVER!"

Bill kicked the chain as it refused to budge or break, "Arghhhh! Let me go!!!" he screeched.

"Why?"

"You're not my parent! And I don't need watching!!! I have no magic and I'm not a threat!"

Ford bit his lip, "Actually that's why I need a straight answer from you"

Bill stopped his attack mode and looked at him, "What are you on about?"

"I found a mural in the forest, deep in a cave. It showed a child being taken by Time Baby's minions and being turned into you... That child looked identical to my son, and was killed the same way"

"You had a son?"

"Yes, I thought he had died"

"I don't understand, what are you saying?"

"Your my son, Bill. At least, I think you are."

Bill was silent for a few seconds before he burst into laughter at the imaginative crap Ford was spinning into a story. The scientist flinched and moved away, "What? What's so funny?" he asked, confusion on his face as he stood up. Bill pointed an accusing finger at him, "You're only saying that bullshit to get me to stay! Aren't you!? Well, it's not working, pal! So stop lying!" the demon replied.

"I'm not lying! I'm serious!"

"PROVE IT!"

Ford reached under his sweater and pulled out from its depths, a locket made of metal and other pieces. It looked like a tiny metal human heart and had to have been crafted by small fingers. He opened it carefully and took out a lock of brown hair from within before he flipped it around to show Bill the picture wedged inside. Bill stared at the lady and the young boy through the bars. The kid couldn't have been over ten years old, while the mother was young and had his same green eyes, "Do you recognize this?" Ford asked, "It was taken just after you turned ten. You gifted me a gift rather than wanting to receive one. The locket this picture is in was a gift _you_ made!"

"I don't recognize it."

Ford gently put the hair back inside and snapped it shut, "How!? How can you not remember!!!?? Maybe someones erased your memories? Or you just forgot? Or I'm going crazy!"

Bill stomach growled, and he sat down on the cold floor, leaning up against the bars of his cage as he poked at his bow tie, "I don't care, just go away" he muttered, reaching up for his non-existent top hat that usually floated above his head. Ford sighed and went back upstairs as he heard the demon's tummy growl, taking out a slice of bread from the loaf in the pantry and grabbing a clean shot glass from the cupboard (which he filled with water). He returned with the items and set them on his desk, giving Bill an rolled up strip of bread to eat since he knew he wouldn't be able to eat the entire slice. The demon pushed it away, "I don't want your food"

"You will when you're starving and cold"

"I'm _already_ starving and cold... I don't want YOUR food!"

"Well, that's all you're getting, so it's not my problem."

Ford rubbed his eyes and picked up the crystal, the entire thing was a dark green and had reddish veins running through it inside. They looked oddly like the synapses in the brain, connecting to the 'neurons' and giving the item a sort of starburst look. His eyes widened as he realized what it was. This thing was a Memory Crystal! Able to store and hold valued human information as easily and more efficiently than a brain could on its own. 

He set it back down and grabbed his laser pen, slicing a piece off and crushing it up into a fine powder with his vibrating pulveriser machine. Bill finally reached for the bread and ate it, he _was_ rather hungry and it was probably best if he had energy if he wanted to get out of here. While he ate, Ford mixed the powder into the water without Bill's eye on him and set the glass down in his cage once he was done, "Here, water too, don't want you to get dehydrated."

Bill looked down at it with a questionable gaze, "Yeesh, ever heard of filters down here, your water looks awful, is this safe to drink?"

"Yes, it's fine, I've had it before, tested it myself, it's just the air bubbles, and bit of chlorine they used to clean it."

Bill took a cautious sip then gulped it down when he realized how thirsty he was, wiping his eye once he had set the empty glass back down beside him, "I'd kill for some time punch right about now, cosmic sand would also be nice..." he said, yawning tiredly as he stretched, the drugs were still making him feel awful as they wore off. 

"I don't have Inter-dimensional alcohol, Bill"

"Of course you don't, you abide by the rules like a loser"

"Well, even if I had some, I wouldn't give it to you."

Bill waved a hand at him moodily, "I'm going to nap, be quiet" he growled, passing out almost as soon as he laid down. Ford sighed, hoping and with fingers crossed, that this would work. That the fragments of memory crystal Bill had consumed would be enough to kick start his mind.

And reveal everything.

~

_Loud noise, colour and screeching cicadas. The sound of Ford tinkering with his ship catching his ears in the distance. The smell of oil and dirt filled his nose, all of which were comforting and kind. He remembered he had a mom, she was currently inside the house he could see behind him, but all that remained of her was a soft scent and the feel of warm hugs. She had no face and no name. He could remember his favorite things to play with, a stuffed rabbit his mom had made for him, and a few inventions he had made himself. But most of all he remembered Ford, laughing and roughhousing and eating dinner him with late at night as they chattered about the things they had done that day._

_Was this really a memory? Or was he just dreaming this all up? His mind cooking up a show of the past events. He scooped up some dirt, chuckling softly as he sifted it through his human fingers. It felt soft and tickled, and it was rather fun to squish between his hands. His rabbit lay beside him, a bit grubby but the bow tie it was wearing was new. He smiled and picked it up, feeling happy and calm. Until of course the whir of a powered up gun caught his ears and he looked up into the face of danger._

Ford observed Bill as he tossed and turned, unable to move much while on his back. The triangle whimpered softly in his sleep, reaching out as if he could grab whatever it was he was trying to grab. The demon let out a scream and cried out for him, limbs wriggling in protest as he tried to run. Ford knew exactly what he was dreaming about.

_His death, his own death._

He opened the cage and scooped him up gently, stroking a hand over the un-bruised parts of him, "Shhh, it's okay... it's okay" he soothed, trying to calm him down. Bill sobbed, thick tears collecting in his eye with nowhere to go. Ford tilted him to the side and allowed them to move, wiping them away with a tissue before they reached the ground. He felt like someone had tipped ice down his shirt, the crying noises so similar to his son. It was obvious now, so obvious, this was Ethan. 

But was it, though? Or was Ethan's soul just used to create Bill? An ingredient they had needed.

How much of Bill was now Ethan?

How much of Ethan had become Bill?

He set him down as the demon began to wake and quickly closed the door as he realized comforting his enemy probably wasn't the best, or smartest choice, "Bill?" he asked, waiting till the demon had opened his eye and wiped away the remaining tears. Bill looked at him as he sat up, himself trembling from head to toe and not just because of the cold, "What was the name you gave me?" the small triangle asked quietly.

"Ethan"

"It means strong... nice choice..."

"But you're not him. You used to be. But you're not. You're Bill Cipher, and Ethan's dead"

"What do you mean?"

"You have his memories, but they mean nothing, you're someone else, something else, right? My son died! I just, you can't be him! He was sweet and got into trouble in the funniest ways and always shared his things with his friends. You're nothing but a monster who wants what he thinks belongs to him!"

Bill blinked, "But, I am Ethan, well, I was... I'm not Bill Cipher, that was a username to me because I couldn't remember my actual name. I'm sorry if you don't think I'm your son... I don't want to be your son, because this is weird... and it's confusing the hell out of me..."

"It wasn't tap water, by the way, it was water with a bit of memory crystal in it, that's why you remembered everything." Ford explained. Bill turned away from him, fuming angrily and kicking out a leg, "I hate you so much!" he pouted childishly, crossing his arms at the audacity. Ford gave him an amused but sad smile, "Why? Because I lied about the water?"

Bill sighed and waved his hand at him, "I didn't mean it... ignore me, I'm just grumpy because you fed me weird water... I'm going to shut up now."

"Ethan?"

Bill ignored him and curled up on the floor of his cage, he wanted to fix things, but he also wanted to run away and pretend like this was all some weird dream, this was silly and wrong, and why was he thinking these things!? It wasn't like him to be worrying like this, he didn't care! Did he? 

But he knew the truth now, he wasn't Bill anymore, no matter how much he wanted to cling to those fragments of his life. He was Ethan Pines and he had died, and then he had been reborn as a monster. He had climbed his way to the top of the chain, murdering, killing and destroying, and all with one goal in mind. Take over dimensions 46'\ and rule it. It was a life that had been easy for him, while being human or the prospects of being human sounded far too troubling and full of things he'd rather not have to do. 

Which is why he was struggling to accept it. 

Ford opened his door and removed the cup from his cage, lying a soft blanket over him, "Ethan, look, I'm sorry for locking you away like this, but after all that stuff you did... It might be awhile before I trust you again..."

"Right..."

"Get some rest"

"Don't tell me what to do, you're not my d.... Just leave me alone."


	5. I'm Sorry

He had had brown hair, bright green eyes, and tanned skin from what he could remember. Completed with a light smattering of freckles on his face and shoulders, and a pair of strange glasses on his face. His favorite shirt had been the one with the smiley faces on it, the one his mother had sewn into his shirt for him. He couldn't remember what dimension he had lived in, but it looked nice from what he could remember, mostly forest. The town had been war torn but getting back on its feet by the looks of things.

Bill waited till Ford was gone before he started crying, that awful lonely feeling stronger now he was alone. He felt so bad, so wrong, so unhappy, and it made him feel sick inside. He wrapped the surrounding blanket around himself, hating his body and not wanting to see it anymore. It didn't feel right to be in it, it didn't feel good.

_I'm sorry, Dad._

Ford walked to his room as he left the lab, feeling like someone had split his soul into two. It was easy accepting his son was dead and that it was all his fault. But it made it ten times worse knowing that his son had hurt so many innocent people as his time as Bill. His mind went to Lena, his wife, whom he had married at sunset by the Jorgan woods about a year after he had met her in the marketplace of her home town. The woman who had smiled upon her noticing him and captivated him with her green eyes.

Her dimension was mostly called the FallOut Dimension by strangers, because of its lengthy history of war and ruin. His book had mentioned it as being far too dangerous to enter and he had skipped it a few times until curiosity got the better of him. Upon arriving, he found it was steadily returning to a state of peace as those that the inhabitants had fought, had long since had enough of the fighting.

 _"Don't you worry, Mister Explorer, you got this"_ Lena's voice said, faint but audible in his mind as he sat down on the blankets. He fell back onto his bed, fully clothed and too tired to change as Lena laughed and smiled in his mine, those memories hurting him greatly. He cried himself to sleep that night, curling up as his fingers shook and stayed clenched around the locket Ethan had made for him all those years ago.

_I'm sorry, Lena._

~

Ford woke up late, having slept the day away and most of the afternoon. He made his way to the kitchen, ignoring the talking and commotion and pouring himself some coffee, thankfully still hot as it sat in the pot. Stan gave him a sad look as the man hurried off to his lab, ignoring the plate of food he had pushed over to him. Bill was hugging the blanket when he got there, pretending it was the soft toy his mother had made for him as he stroked it with his fingers. If the others could see him now, they'd laugh and call him weak. But for some reason he didn't care anymore, he just wanted to be loved again, and it hurt, it physically and mentally hurt.

"Ethan? I mean... Bill?"

Bill let go of the blanket with a sniffle and stood up, turning around to look at Ford as he appeared in his line of sight, "What?"

"What's the matter?" the man asked, setting his cup down beside the cage. Bill sat back down with a sigh, "Everything" he replied.

"Everything?"

"I dont know who I am anymore, and I'm struggling to decide what I want..."

"Decide? You don't know whether you're Bill or Ethan?"

"No, I know I'm Ethan, but I don't know if I want to be Ethan... But I don't want to be Bill either... It's confusing."

Ford opened the cage door and picked him up, "You don't _have_ to be Bill" he said, unclipping the chain and bringing him up to eye level. "I know, but.. I don't know" Bill said quietly, letting out a small shocked noise as Ford hugged him gently. The mortal demons eye went wide and shiny, "I just want you back" Ford whispered, gently stroking his back with a finger. Tears ran down the triangles face and he hugged back as best as he could.

"Me too."

Ford smiled down at him, wiping his own eyes of the tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks, "No wonder you've always been childish, you _are_ a child"

"How old was I? When I died? It's still unclear..."

"Ten"

"I probably shouldn't have been drinking so heavily as a demon.. . or the other countless misdeeds."

Ford chuckled and Bills eye curled up in a smile too, "Okay, you can put me down now, this is getting a bit weird for me" he said, patting his finger with a hand. Ford put him down on the table, "Sorry about that." he said, picking up his coffee cup and busying himself with the hot liquid.

"So, what now?" Bill asked, wobbling a bit on his feet before he took a seat on his bottom angle. Ford swallowed the mouth full he had taken and took a deep breath, "I have no idea, but I know I can't keep you here"

"I want to be me again... I don't want to be a triangle anymore..."

"Yes, we're going to have to fix that"

"How?"

"Genetic engineering maybe, or perhaps cloning"

"You'd make me a new body? Can it look like my other one!?"

Ford nodded, "In every way, I have your DNA from before" he said, patting the locket under his sweater. Bill waved his arms excitedly, "We can use a transmutation circle to transfer my soul into the new body! Once it's done" he said. 

"How does that work?"

"You'd have me in one, and the body in another, you kill me and then my soul gets transferred over to the new form, and hey presto, I'm me again!" Bill explained.

"That's risky, if your soul doesn't go into your body it could become stagnant or even go into my body"

"Not if you do it right, give me some paper, I can draw you what you need."

Ford handed him a slip of paper and a pen, watching intently as Bill drew a slightly wobbly circle on the yellowed printing paper. Bill added lines and symbols to the design, trying his best to be careful and not make it a mess, "There!" he cried, holding up the finished product to him.

Ford took it, "Perfect! Lets get to it then.... Hmm, how to make a body" he muttered, tapping his top angle. Bill grabbed his finger as he removed it and squealed as he lifted him off the table, "Wheeeee!" he cried, swinging his legs back and forth. Ford chuckled, "You're actually adorable when you aren't all murderous"

"I have _never_ in a million years been called adorable before"

"I never thought I'd say that to this form, anyway"

"No shit"

"Language!"

"I'm an adult!" 

Bill quickly went quiet as he realized that no, no, he wasn't an adult anymore, "FUCK!" he screamed, kicking his legs in annoyance. Ford snorted, "No, you're not an adult! So find substitute curse words to use" he said, setting him back down on the table. Bill grumped and him and kicked the pen, "Don't give me that, mister" Ford ordered, getting to work on his son's new body. Bill watched him, doing his own version of Parkour by climbing and swinging on things in the lab. Ford glanced up every now and then, mostly in amusement and mostly because he didn't want him to fall and get hurt. Bill hurried over to a stack of books by his hand and climbed up them, face-planting onto some paper as he fell off, "And they say this form isn't flexible, pfft! Bullshit!"

"Who said your form isn't flexible?"

"Many people, but I can bend like a piece of paper" Bill replied, curving his form to show him, "Well, kinda, its strained."

"Close enough then?"

"Are you going to make the body like Rick Sanchez does his?"

"Ricks methods are strange, But no, It will be something close to it, my own method."

"Can I have more food? Other than the crusty bread I know you were going to make me eat for the rest of my years"

Ford felt his stomach growl, "Of course, I'll go get us breakfast, or lunch, or whatever meal time it is" he said, standing up and heading to the elevator. "Were you _really_ going to feed me bread and water forever?" Bill called out to him.

"The bad part of me wanted to, but I probably would have caved by a week!"

"Ha! If I had played the pity party, you would have caved sooner too!"

"I know I'm too soft. Now wait here! Don't fall!"

"Yeesh, Sixer, I'm not old and frail like you are, calm down, will ya?"

Ford scoffed at those words and walked into the lift once the doors opened, Bill waving to him as they closed. The scientist smiled as he pressed the up button, feeling relief as well as peace in his mind. His son was back, his son wasn't his enemy anymore,

_His son._


	6. Pizza

"Hey Sixer, finally came up for food, huh?" Stan asked, a smile on his face as Ford shuffled into the kitchen awkwardly. His twin looked at the leftover pizza heating up in the microwave and nodded as he watched it spin around inside, "If you don't mind, yes"

"Great! Sit down, it'll be ready soon."

Mabel waved to him as he took a seat, and Dipper grinned and tapped the table till he realized what the boy was waiting for. Ford pulled what remained of the crystal from his pocket and held it out to him, "There you go, I'm sorry but I took a small corner off to study, I hope that doesn't devalue it"

"Nope! Thanks Grunkle Ford!" Dipper replied, "Did you find anything cool about it?"

"Yeah, like what kind of crystal is it?" Mabel piped up, banging the table with a fist in her excitement. Ford nodded, "It's definitely a memory crystal, you can store memories in it and play with them, note the synapses and neurons made of thin rock veins inside it"

"Wow! Did you find any memories inside it?" 

"No, it's empty, sorry."

Dipper looked at it in the harsh light of the bulb above him, turning it over as he examined it. He was quite sure it had glowed and had been active to some extent. Or maybe a stray ray of light had simply hit the reflective surface and bounced off it, creating the glow he had seen, "There were so many there, are you sure it was empty? What about the other ones? What was that place?"

"I think so, I'm guessing it was a storage cave, to house the memory canisters."

Stan set the plate of slightly soggy pizza down on the table, "Enough nerd talk, eat" he grunted, sitting down with a sigh and tugging over an extra cheesy slice onto his plate before the younger twins devoured the lot. He gave one look at it and gave it to Ford instead, grabbing a celery stick from the fridge. Ford smiled and gave him a nod, "Thank you" he said, happy to see his twin was realizing his poor health and wanted to do something about it. Stan made a slight noise and crunched the vegetable unwillingly. He knew he didn't have long on this pitiful planet, but he could at least give himself a few more weeks if he started eating right. 

Mabel rolled up her slice and shoved the entire thing into her mouth, "So, Grunkle Ford? What are you working on down there? You're hardly ever down there these days, so it must be important" she spoke with her mouth full.

"Yup, very important, very busy" Ford replied, deciding not to elaborate as he ate his dinner. He ignored the awkward silence that followed, and the worried look his family gave him for being so vague about his work. They had hoped he would tell them more, or at least give them more info, even if it was a bit more than half a sentence.

"Right... anything I can help with?" Dipper asked, using a knife and fork to eat his pizza like a civilized human being. Ford shook his head, "Afraid not" he answered, picking up another slice to munch on. Stan raised an eyebrow at it. Usually his twin wouldn't eat more than one slice before he declared himself full. He must have be distracted by something, it was the only way he'd eat more than he usually did, "Are you going to tell us, or is this a surprise?" he asked.

"It's stuff none of you would understand... Multiverse stuff..."

"You could try? It can't be that hard" Dipper huffed.

Ford took a deep breath and picked at his food, "You don't need to worry about that, I just... I think you should probably know... a long time ago I used to have a son. He lived and died in the second decade I was in the multiverse. And that's all you need to know. I just wanted to tell you before you... found out from someone else" he replied, picking up one more slice before he stood up, "So, don't ask me about it, it's just been on my mind a lot recently."

"I'm so sorry for your loss..." Mabel whispered sadly, looking at him with big brown eyes, filled with tears and sadness. Ford gave her a small, but pained smile, "It's fine, it was a quick death at the very least" he replied, his fingers trembling as they clutched the plate. Dipper looked at his own plate and Stan set his 'dinner' down, "I had a nephew then, what was his name?" he asked, peeling pieces off the green stalk.

"Ethan" Ford replied, sweeping from the room as quickly as he could without running. Dipper watched his lab coat disappear around the corner and sighed, "That was really unexpected"

"No shit, Sherlock, get started on the dishes once you're done eating" Stan grumbled, standing up and heading to the living room to watch some TV before bedtime, or until his old age made him fall asleep in the armchair. Dipper finished his dinner quietly and cleaned up, his sister helping him in silence as both of them were not in the mood for much talking.

The elevator dinged and Ford hurried back into the lab to give Bill his food and perhaps finish up the work he was doing. He had almost figured out a way to clone his son, without the help of Rick Sanchez and completely different to how he cloned his own clones. Bill had found a way to amuse himself while he had been gone and was currently finishing setting up some dominoes he had found wedged in the messy, and musty bookshelf. He pushed the first one with a finger once he was done and raced beside them, giggling with glee. That was until, Fords foot stopped them in its tracks. 

Bill stomped his foot in annoyance, "Hey! Watch it!" he grumped, pointing a finger at him angrily. Ford looked down as he set the plate onto his desk, "Oh, sorry Bill, um, Ethan... Which would you prefer me to call you?" he asked, removing his foot so Bill could topple the next lot down. The demon waved a hand at it and left it alone, "It feels weird you calling me Ethan, even though that _is_ my name, I don't feel like I deserve it" he answered, looking up at him. Ford smiled, "Of course you deserve it, your my son... I'll call you Ethan till you decide... Since it _is_ your first name" he replied, bending down to pick him up, "Is pizza good for dinner?"

Bills eye sparkled as Ford set him down on the desk beside the plate and he reached for it with tiny fingers, "Oh yes! I like pizza!" he replied, pulling the cheesy pizza slice towards him with an upturned eye grin. Ford sat down in his chair and swung it around a few times, "Then you can go back to playing dominoes, if you like?"

"Oh, is that what they're called? I call them Knock 'em' Downs, always have done, not sure why"

"I'm guessing it's because they're fun to watch when they topple over?"

"Yes! Like... ugh... like..." Bill went quiet and picked some cheese off the top as the slice laid across his lap. Ford frowned at the silence, "Like what?" he asked, tugging the slice back onto the plate so he could cut it up into smaller bite for him. Bill watched him with a guilty look, "Oh, well, I was going to say like planets and people... but um"

"That's not a good thought, I understand. Hey, don't beat yourself up about it, just separate Ethan thoughts from Bill thoughts, that way it'll be easier to make sense of your own mind. I'm sure it's confusing" Ford replied, patting his top angle gently and pushing the cut up bits towards him once he was done. Bill went back to eating, now a lot more easier, "It is, I mean on one hand I want to hurt you, and beat you up. But on the other I want hugs and for you to feed me and be nice to me..."

"Which feels better?"

"I dont know, it depends, I'm struggling... I don't want to talk about this!" Bill cried, putting his hands over his 'ears' and turning around so he wasn't facing Ford. The scientist put his hands up in surrender and finished off the leftover pizza as Bill refused to eat any more, "All right, I won't, do you want to get down and play with the dominoes now?"

"No... I'm not in the mood anymore"

"Tired?"

"I guess"

"You can watch me work, if you like?"

"Okay..."

Ford carried on with his plans, which were taking longer than expected. But it was no surprise since he didn't have any of his old equipment anymore. Bill watched for about an hour before his eye slipped closed and he fell asleep where he was sitting. Ford looked up from his work and smiled softly at him, coming over and picking him up so he could clean him up of the pizza grease that coated his hands and legs. Once he had wiped away the mess with an alcohol wipe, he squished a few makeshift blankets inside the cage and tucked him in.

"There we go, goodnight, Ethan" he whispered, keeping the door open for him in case he wanted out. Once he was sure his son was all good, he cleaned up the dominoes and headed off to bed himself, keeping the lab door locked and bolted so the others wouldn't happen on a poor defenseless Bill. The man smiled as he trailed to his bedroom, feeling a lot more relaxed now he had found a way to help his son. He would be able to start building him a body early the next morning with the DNA from the hair inside his locket. Ethan would be running around before dinner time and Bill Cipher, Dream Demon and Master of the Mind, would seize to exist. 

_Then he just had to figure out what had happened to his wife._

**(A/N: Sorry for the short chapter, I have a headache)**


	7. Cloned

He had done it; he had reached the perfect level of warmth and comfort. His injuries barely hurt and were healing, and it was so peacefully quiet in the lab that he could have been anywhere if he imagined it well enough. Bill sighed happily, enjoying it all as he snoozed and daydreamed, vaguely aware of the occasion clink or scuffle above from the rest of the Pines family. He had also gotten a suitable amount of sleep last night and nothing felt better than a good night’s rest to an aching body. 

He opened his eye a crack as he heard the squeal of the elevator and grumbled softly as Ford came hurrying into the lab, an empty plate in his hands, “Morning, Ethan, it’s time” he said, a grin on his face, “I figured out how to clone you and worked on it while you were sleeping”

“You did? Didn’t you just get here?”

“No, this is my third trip down to the lab this morning, I went up to get you some breakfast, then I ate it on the way here, but don’t worry, I’ll get you some more.” Ford replied, putting the plate down on the desk. Bill peered out the bars sleepily and grumped at the loss of his food, “Huh, well.... can I have five more minutes?”

“I suppose?”

Bill grinned and snuggled back down in the blankets, falling asleep again moments later as Ford tinkered with a few things and got the transmutation circle ready with the chalk and the piece of paper Bill had drawn. He picked up the sleepy triangle as the time ticked over the deadline and set him down on one of the circles carefully. Next to him lay Ethan’s new body, still and lifeless and ready for its soul. Bill yawned and stretched, noticing the lack of warmth as he opened his eye and sat up, “Oh, it’s time? Well, go on then. How are you going to kill me? Stab? Or shoot?”

“Shootings faster and cleaner... You know why I have my reservations over that method” Ford replied, taking out his ray gun from its holster and checking the safety switch was off, and the power was full.

“You want me to do it?”

“I’ll do it, hold still” Ford said, aiming the gun at his eye and trembling slightly as he stood there. It was obvious he really didn’t want to do this, there were risks involved and death could be the outcome rather than the re-life of his son. Bill swallowed thickly, fear settling in, he hoped that this would work, otherwise he’d be dead forever. He quickly closed his eye, not wanting to see it at all, and kept his hands and feet flat on the ground, and away from his triangle body.

Ford stood there for a few seconds, trying to swallow his anxiety and fired right through his eye as he shook his head to rid himself of those thoughts. Bill flopped to the floor as purple blood oozed around him in a small puddle. He looked like a triangular donut, complete with purple jelly, but not the tasty kind.

The transmutation circle glowed brightly as the neon blood trickled across the lines, the symbols flashing in the dim light as it did its job and safely moved Bills soul into the humanoid form. Ford watched with bated breath and felt a sense of relief as Ethan’s fingers twitched with life. 

The boy gasped for air as he settled in his new form and sat up, coughing as he struggled to remember how to breathe and move. Ford kneeled down, his heart beating fast as Ethan finally breathed normally, “Ethan? How do you feel?" he asked, taking one of his hands as the fingers open and closed. Ethan blinked, one at a time, and smiled up at him with those piercing apple-green eyes, “Two eyes really are better than one”

“So you’ve told me.”

~

Ford made him do a bunch of exercises just to make sure he was up to standard physically and mentally, as well as a few tests and exams to work his mind, and to deduce any brain issues he might have. Ethan sat down at the end, panting and exhausted, and not enjoying the sweat dripping down his face in the slightest, or the mild headache. It had been hard to walk at first, as it usually did when he possessed someone, but this wasn’t possession anymore, this was his body and he was stuck in it till the day he died.

Ford handed him a bottle of water and a damp cloth to wash his face as he fidgeted in his seat, not used to being so flexible now, “Do you like your new body?” he asked, smiling at him as those green eyes washed over his face with uncertainty and a hint of trust. Ethan chuckled, “New? It looks the same as before, even has the same awful eyesight” he said, squinting at a poster nearby.

“So, you can’t find any differences? Good.”

Ford rummaged in his desk and pulled out a pair of glasses, “Here, try these on, they should help for now until we can get you a proper prescription” he said, handing the plastic frames to him. Ethan slipped them on and everything blurry came into a sharp focus, “That’s much better... now, what about my mom?”

“You have the same green eyes as her, but you definitely scored all my good looks.”

“She sounds lovely... I wish I could remember her..”

“You don’t remember her?”

“No... she’s all blurry in my mind... I’m still regaining memories... I’m sure she’ll come into focus soon”

“I hope she does.”

“Can I go upstairs now? Or are you going to keep me down here for the rest of my life?”

Ford sighed, “I just... I need to know that you’ll be okay.”

“I feel fine, I look fine, heck, I even sound fine, my voice doesn’t echo anymore, and it doesn’t sound like before... I’ll be fine! Please?” Ethan begged, walking over to the elevator with a skip and a hopeful expression. Ford followed and pulled him into a hug, “Sure, but there’s one slight problem”

“What?”

“I told my family you were dead, also let’s never mention that you used to be Bill Cipher”

“Right, no nicknames, no Bill stuff... I’ll try my best”

“If they ask, I could just say science and slap them if they have any problems, I’ve done it before.”

Ethan chuckled, “Of course, you weirdo. Perhaps show them the body as well? Say that Bill came back and you killed him, that way the suspicion gets bumped down a few notches” he said, gesturing to the body still lying on the floor, the purple blood already starting to dry out.

“Yes, but what has that got to do with you as of now?” Ford asked, going over and picking up the body by the foot. He grimaced at the sight of it and looked back at his son. Ethan tapped his chin, “What if they think I could be him? Hmm? We need to get all those ideas out the window before it starts”

“Oh, good point. You sound the same when you get excited”

“Huh?”

“When you get excited, your voice gets higher.”

Ethan grumped and stomped his foot, “I haven’t gone through puberty yet! Dipper did the same thing!”

Ford smiled, “Yeah, but it makes you sound like Cipher. Never mind, I just thought you should know” he said, stuffing the body into an empty bag from the trash. Ethan crossed his arms and pouted in annoyance, it wasn't his fault he could still hit the high notes. The scientist ruffled his hair as he came back over and opened the lift doors, “So, let’s give coming back from the dead a whirl, okay?”

“Okay!” Ethan replied cheerfully, following in after him as he remembered to keep his arms straight at his sides, rather than at an angle like he used to. He paused beside him and hooked a finger into the waistband of his shorts, peering in as the lift doors closed, “Oh, I forgot I had one of these” he said, allowing his pants to snap back into place. Ford grimaced as Ethan put his hands on his hips and grinned up at him, “Don’t do that, you keep whatever’s down there away from the public eye. No one needs to know.”

Ethan chuckled, “Can you get me some clothes too? Besides these shorts?”

“Of course."

“Great!” Ethan replied, bouncing on the balls of his feet as the lift went up. Ford watched him happily, overjoyed he had his son back. “You think the other three will be okay with this? I feel like I’m about to be squished, hugged and examined all over, and that's just Mabel... It’s a weird feeling” Ethan said. Ford chuckled, “Oh, I think you will be, but don’t worry about it, you can have your personal space back after a maximum of ten minutes.”


	8. Allergic

"Let me go out and make sure no-ones there, okay?"

Ethan side-stepped to allow Ford through the vending machine, not too sure why he couldn't be seen as of yet. But Ford obviously had a plan or his reasons for doing so. So, he waited patiently in the semi-darkness for him to return, watching through the crack in the vending machine door.

Dipper was sweeping the floor nearby, his attention elsewhere as he swept the dust out the door and listened to whatever music was playing through his headphones. Ford came over with a slight smile and waved his hand to get his attention as he used the broom like a guitar, "Oh, hey Grunkle Ford, do you need help with something?" the boy asked, nestling the headphones on his neck as muffled music continued to waft from the speakers.

"Hey Dipper, could you check the kitchen? I could have sworn I saw gnomes trying to get into the cookie jar on the security cameras."

"Ugh, not again" Dipper whined, leaning the broom against the counter and hurrying back to the kitchen through the 'Staff Only' entrance. Ford breathed a sigh of relief and motioned for Ethan to come out once it was all clear. The boy poked his head out and came over to him, the pair of shorts he was wearing making him feel naked, "Now what?" he asked, rubbing his arm as a chill went up them.

"Now? Now we find you some clothes from my room, just for the time being"

"Aren't we going to go buy new clothes? All your stuff would be too big, won't it?"

"We'll have to do that later... I could borrow some of Dipper's clothes"

"Ugh, no thanks.... he hasn't showered in what? Five days? Imagine what his clothes are like!?"

"Exactly he only wears one set, so he must have others untouched."

Ethan followed him to his room and went over to an old chest which happened to house Fords older clothing he couldn't bear to throw away. He opened it and pulled out an old beige shirt from the neatly folded piles inside, one Ford had worn when he had been younger. He tugged it on, buttoned it up and rolled up the sleeves, "This should do fine, I don't want Dippers grungy clothing."

"Not that desperate, huh? Can't blame you."

A loud growl echoed around the room and Ethan patted his tummy, "Can I have some food?"

"Sure, I'll go get you something to eat" Ford said, walking out the bedroom with a flourish and a faster pace than he had been stepping previously. Ethan followed after him, not really in the mood to play hide and seek with the Pines family. 

_If he was to be seen, they would see him._

Ford grabbed a loaf of bread from the pantry and the jar of peanut butter from the fridge, making him a messily put together sandwich as he hummed a tune. Ethan watched intrigued, he hadn't had peanut butter before, and it smelt strange and very nutty. 

He dipped a finger into the contents of the open jar and stuck it in his mouth to give it a taste test. The allergic reaction that came next was almost instant, and he fell to the floor as its effects took hold. His face swelled up and his airways closed, and he struggled to breathe as he choked on the mouthful of spread.

"Can't... breath" he wheezed, reaching for him as if that would help. Ford's eyes widened in horror and he raced out the kitchen to the nearest first-aid kit, which thankfully had everything they needed (and more) because of a paranoid Stanley. He grabbed the epi-pen from within the mess of band-aids and rubbing alcohol, and hurried back, uncapping the lid and twisting the top till the button popped up. 

Ethan let out a yelp as Ford jabbed it into his thigh and pressed it down, releasing the contents into his bloodstream and helping him up into a sitting position. After a few seconds he could breathe again and the swelling lessened. Ford tilted his head back and cleaned out the peanut butter still in his mouth, his father looking very guilty. 

"I probably should have tested to make sure you weren't allergic to anything, I'm sorry."

"Allergic? That was an allergic reaction? huh..." Ethan replied, trembling a little from the shock as he sat there. 

_That had been awful, he was sure he was going to die again._

Ford nodded, "You're from the multiverse, you not used to normal things here, although obviously you've never encountered a peanut before either"

"Oh, maybe do an allergy test before I eat anything then?"

Ford stood up and put the sandwich in the bin, rinsing the knife under the tap water and getting a new one, "I'm surprised that nobody heard that, and yes, we're going to have to do some testing first"

"How long will it take?"

"Not long, I'll just try basic ingredients like wheat and dairy"

"O-Okay."

Ford smiled reassuringly and took out a slice of bread, careful not to cross contaminate with the peanut butter still sitting on the bench. He poured a small shot glass half full of milk and set the items down on the table, "There, try a bit of these, I'll monitor you" he said, hauling Ethan to his feet and setting him down into the seat. Ethan looked down at the items cautiously, "I'm afraid, what if it happens again?" he asked, his face still red from the reaction.

"It's likely you only have a nut allergy, this is just to make sure."

Ethan picked up the milk first, taking a testing sip before he finished it off. When nothing happened he tried the bread and breathed a sigh of relief when that too yielded no dangerous results.

"You're fine, it's just peanuts you're allergic to" Ford said, writing it down in his notepad for later references. Ethan leaned on the table and poked the shot glass away from himself, "Can I have food now?"

"Of course" Ford replied, making him a simple cheese sandwich. He had considered jam, but knowing Mabel and Dipper, the two would have cross contaminated it with the peanut butter in their mission to make a PB & J. Ethan scoffed it hungrily, not really bothering to chew, he was very hungry and guessed it was because this body hadn't eaten before. Ford made him another one as he held out his plate, and set down a snack-sized bag of potato chips in front of him as well, only once he had made sure the item hadn't been handled with peanuts.

"Hey Grunkle Ford, I was thinking with the cookie jar, maybe we could do a special lock on it- Oh, hey, whose this?" Dipper asked, gesturing to Ethan, now taking it a bit easier on the chips. Ford looked up and smiled happily, "This is Ethan" he said, waiting for Dipper to unplug his headphones from his MP3 player before he answered.

"Uh.... Like your son? Or did you kidnap this child?"

"No, could you please get Stan and Mabel? We need to talk."

"Um, okay?" his nephew said, backing out of the kitchen and rushing to grab the rest of the family. He tugged them away from their early afternoon tasks and pushed them into the kitchen as they protested and asked questions. Ford put his hands behind his back as he got ready to address the others, "Everyone, I have some good news, firstly, Bill Cipher returned, but he's dead, killed him myself" he said, pulling out the bag from his pocket and turning it upside down. The small triangle body tumbled onto the floor with a small splat, and Ethan grimaced as purple blood oozed across the floor.

The others paled, "Ugh, gross, I'm going to be sick!" Dipper whined, his twin feeling the same thing as she covered her mouth, "Put that thing away, or so help me" Stan cried, trying not to look at it. Ford chuckled and picked it back up, stuffing it back into the bag and wrinkling his nose at the smell it was starting to produce, "Don't worry, I'll bury it. Second, this is Ethan, I can't hide stuff from you, nor do it well, so there you go."

"Ethan? As in your son?" Stan asked. Ford nodded and Stan gave a very confused grumble and adjusted his glasses as he squinted at the boy, now munching on an apple, "You said your son was dead"

"He was, but I brought him back with science"

"You played god!? Are you insane!?"

Ford winced, "Yes? That's what scientists do, don't worry, it's all um, morally correct."

Ethan tossed the apple core into the bin and stood up, "I'm the same as I was before my death. Do you guys have any more food? I'm still hungry" he said, tugging Fords sleeve. Ford pointed to the cupboards, "There are biscuits in there, not too many though."

The biscuits had nuts in them, so Ethan sat back down at the table and grabbed a banana to eat instead, just as Mabel swooped in and hugged him tightly, "So you're our cousin!!?? Hello! Oh, your hairs so floofy like Grunkle Fords!" she cooed, running her fingers through it.

"It is?"

"Yup!"

Stan sighed, Ethan did look so much like Ford had done when he was younger, but his nose was smaller and pointed and his chin also more smaller than his had been, "You're a bit old to be looking after a kid, Stanford, don't you think?" he questioned, noticing the green eyes of he nephew, which he found strangely haunting to look at.

_That kid had seen things._

"I have no idea what you mean, Ethan's no trouble."

"Oh yeah, I'm a perfect angel..." Ethan said sarcastically, "Can we go get me some proper clothes now? Maybe a trip to the medics, or whatever you call them here, and get me some more of that stuff that fixed my peanut allergy... I don't want it to happen again" he said, trying to pry Mabel off him as his banana slipped from his fingers. Ford nodded, "It's called the pharmacist here, yes we need to get that sorted too."

"Kids allergic to nuts, huh? Hmm, I'll get some stuff sorted, Dipper, Mabel? Get rid of all the stuff with nuts in it, keep it in a drawer or something, I'll give you some money and you can go get some more groceries" Stan said, handing Dipper some cash from his wallet. Dipper grinned and pocketed it happily, "Can do, Grunkle Stan. Come on Mabes" he answered, waiting for his sister to finish her affection. Ford ruffled Ethan's hair as Mabel let go of him and the boy quickly finished off the fruit.

"Let's go get you some proper clothes B- Ethan"

"Can we get green clothes? To match my eyes?"

"We sure can."

~

"Ooooh, green flannel! What do you think?" Ethan asked, holding up the shirt to his body and grinning at Ford as the man searched the shelves for the other necessities. Ford looked over his shoulder and smiled, "That would look good, put it in the trolley if it's not too much" he replied, making a smart decision and putting the packet of socks he had picked up into the cart.

Ethan stood on his tiptoes to drop it in the cart and dusted his hands off in a job well done motion. He had already compiled a good stack of clothing, mostly green and black, and with other colours mixed in courtesy of Ford. The old man was so happy to have his son back, he didn't mind Ethan grabbing the same colour of things, if it made him happy he was welcome to it.

The smell from the food court hit Ethan's nostrils, and he practically drooled as he stared in the general direction. He could see people crowding the area, hear the loud chatter, and kids laughing and having fun as they chowed down on their meals, "Can we get some more food?" he asked, tugging Fords sleeve to get his attention.

Ford looked down at him as he read the back of a box of underwear, "You're still hungry?!" he asked, blinking in shock as he deposited it into the cart. Ethan nodded, "Yup! Very!"

Ford sighed, "Alright, I'll get you more food" he said, taking out his wallet just to make sure he had enough for the clothes and extra. He had plenty, but he had no idea how much more Ethan needed, he had nothing to his name except himself. His son practically pulled him through the checkout line once they had payed for his things, determined to eat. "Come on! It smells so good!" Ethan cried, heading straight for the McDonald's line, which thankfully wasn't too backed up with waiting customers. 

"You can pick for me if you want, I have no idea what I want, as long as it has chips with it."

Ford chuckled and ordered him some chicken nuggets, a milkshake and his much wanted chips, waiting in the pickup line with his order number once he had paid. Ethan sat down in an empty seat to wait, excited at the prospects of food as he gazed around at all the other families and friends enjoying their own food. 

"I want you to eat slowly-" Ford started to say as he set the tray down in front of him. Ethan ignored his words and wolfed it all down, the milkshake the last on his list as he devoured the nuggets first. He gulped the drink halfway through his chips, sucking the thick contents through the plastic straw as fast as he could, "Cold! Ow!" he cried, clutching his head as not only cold, but pain sliced through it. He shook his head as if that would relieve it the issues, but it was only until he drank something less cold that it settled down, "That's brain freeze, you need to slow down when you eat, Ethan" Ford said, thankful he had grabbed a bottle of water for himself. 

Ethan wiped his mouth with his sleeve and set the bottle down, "You could have mentioned that before I drank so fast!" he grumbled, finishing off his fries. Ford screwed the bottle cap back onto what remained of his water, "I didn't know you were going to do that."

"Expect the unexpected! You used to tell me that all the time!"

"Um, yes, in the multiverse when the cops were on to us 24/7"

"It wasn't my fault you were a wanted criminal... oh, wait... whoops, heh, kinda was"

"Huh?"

"As Bill, it was my fault... I made you a wanted criminal, sealing my own death... I'm a dummy"

Ford chuckled, "For an 'all-seeing eye', you didn't think a lot of things through"

"Yeah..."

"Hey, don't worry about it, everything's fine now."

_"What happened to my mom?"_

Ford looked away and handed him more napkins, "I don't know"

"What do you mean you don't know!? Is she alive? Is she dead!? What happened!?" Ethan cried, banging a fist on the table and knocking over what remained of his milkshake. Ford moped it up, "Time Police caught her after you died, and I don't know whether she's in prison, escaped or... died during Globnar."

"Oh... maybe we could get her back?... one day I mean..."

"That would be nice, do we need anything else?"

"Shoes, still need shoes."


	9. Green

Ethan climbed back into the trolley as Ford made his way down the aisles, picking up the stuffed blue rabbit from the bottom of the cart. He had wanted it so badly; It was just like the one he used to have back at home, only newer and hardly a familiar scent. But it made him feel comforted, and he hugged it close to his chest with a small, but happy noise. This still felt so strange to him, like Ford being his dad was all just some fevered dream after too many drinks and partying with his friends. But his memories didn't lie, and he had to get used to it... slip slowly back into the normal he had despised as Bill.

He glanced up as they came to a stop at the shoe section and his eyes immediately caught the green high tops sitting on the shelf. He pointed to them and tilted his head back, looking at Ford with wide eyes, "Can we get those?" he asked, the green around the pupils almost the same shade as the off-brand converses.

"You really like green, huh?" Ford muttered, taking them off the shelf and passing them over as his son tumbled out the cart, "Try them on and see if they fit, if they're too big or too small we can grab another size."

Ethan tried them on until he found the right fit and admired them as he tapped his feet on the floor. Ford chuckled as the laces flopped about and kneeled down to help tie them, showing him how it was done as he struggled to knot them right.

They left the mall after paying for them and headed straight back home, Ethan falling asleep in the back of the car among the many shopping bags and items they had purchased, exhausted, happy and full. Ford adjusted the rare-view mirror to check on him as he drove, smiling as he noticed the rabbit clutched in his hands. It had been his favorite toy back on his home planet, but the miss-matched sewed up mess he had once had was currently lost to the Multiverse, so this little stuffed animal would have to do as a replacement.

~

Dipper finished stocking all the peanut related and nutty foods into the drawer, his sister decorating it with peanut themed stickers so it was clear what the drawer held inside it. "All the peanut stuff goes in this drawer from now on, got it?" he asked, looking at his twin as she stood there quietly, flipping through her sticker scrapbook. Stan made a small grunting nose that he had heard and checked the time, "Right, are they back yet?" he asked, just as Ford walked into the kitchen with Ethan in his arms, and still asleep.

"We're home, sorry we took so long, Ethan insisted on stopping for food halfway through shopping and I needed to stop at the Pharmacy."

"He fell asleep? Heh. Did you get the right epi-pen stuff for him?" Dipper asked, his sister heading back out to the car to collect all the shopping bags for them. Ford nodded and pulled a small brown bag from his coat pocket, setting it down on the table, "Yeah, we did. Did you sort the food?"

"Yep! Cleaned the kitchen up and stuffed all the peanut stuff in a drawer."

"It has stickers!" Mabel said, grinning from ear to ear as she lugged all the stuff inside in one trip. Ford smiled at it, "Good, it's nice and clear, thank you, guys" he replied, taking a few things from his niece as they threatened to fall from her arms. Dipper helped, setting everything he grabbed down on to the table, "We also got more food, snacks and stuff, and we made sure it was all peanut free too, and hadn't been handled with peanuts when the product was made. You said it was a very instant and a bad reaction so we made sure the food we got wouldn't have traces of nuts" he said, peering into the bags to see what his great uncle had bought.

"It must've been a pain to read all the labels" Ford said, grimacing as Ethan drooled on his shoulder. He was too deep into his REM cycle to be bothered by their talking and probably wouldn't wake if he moved him roughly. Dipper grinned, grabbing some scissors to cut the tags of the clothes, "Actually, it was fun" he said, snipping away the labels. Mabel scoffed and rolled her eyes at her twin, "Nerd, you find anything fun."

Stan noticed the green clothing and raised an eyebrow, "Going for a green theme, are we?"

Ford nodded, "He chose it himself, to match his eyes. Anyway, Ethan's tuckered out, I'm going to set him up in the attic"

"Do you need any help?" Dipper asked, giving the scissors to his sister so she could finish up.

"Yes, please." his Grunkle replied, making his way to the rickety staircase that led to the attic room. Dipper followed him, taking care not to trip, "So, um, how did you make him? Is he a clone? Or what?"

"Cloned, his body's identical in every way"

"His memories too? How did you get those?"

"The Memory crystal"

"Oh! So thats why you broke some off! Let me guess, his DNA and a bit of that crystal must have made them come back?"

"In theory, yes!" Ford replied, pushing open the door and striding over to the bed in the corner. It was a spare one that Soos had bought over, in case they should ever need it. It had belonged in the spare room of his Abulita's house, back when she had been alive. The lovely old woman had died around the same year as Weirdmageddon, a few months after she had moved in to the Shack. Now Soos spent most of his time helping Stan run the store, the old man keeping him happy despite his sadness.

"You should make green his colour, get some green blankets and pillows and stuff, maybe a rug, and don't forget some toys, books and games to keep him entertained" Dipper said, helping Ford set up the bed so he could tuck Ethan in.

"Why?"

"He's ten, Grunkle Ford, the kid's got to have a themed bedroom by now"

"Right, sure"

"You don't have to make everything green, just some things, maybe add some silver to balance it out?"

"Good idea" Ford replied, smoothing out Ethan's hair as he whimpered in his sleep, and adjusting him on his shoulder. Dipper closed the curtains and turned on the lights, "Is he okay?" he asked, gesturing to his cousin. Ford laid him down on the bed, resting his head on the pillow, "He's fine, he's just having a nightmare."

"Oh, do you want some coffee? Wendy came by with an old coffee machine for us, it's proper too"

"I'd love one" Ford replied, tucking the slightly dusty blanket over his son and turning off the lights before he left the room.

~

"Ugh, Mabel! I don't think Ford wants a unicorn coffee, or whatever nightmare this is! This isn't Starbucks" Dipper cried, blanching at the coloured mess inside the cup which had way too much whipped cream.

"It's called a Rainbow Frappuccino! It's fun!" his sister insisted. Ford poked it with a spoon as she set it down in front of him, "No sugar, please" he said, pushing it away with a disgusted frown.

_There was no way he'd be drinking that._

Dipper grabbed an empty cup and set it under the coffee machine, preparing Ford a proper coffee as the others watched on. Stan was so intrigued by how good he'd made it, he was quite sure he wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a bought one and Dippers as he sipped the contents, "How did you make it so good?" he asked. Dipper chuckled and handed a second one to Ford, "Oh, um, I watch them all the time, figured it out after a few goes."

"Oh, for a second I thought you'd done some sort of barrister training"

"Nope, just curious and observant."

Ford smiled and wrapped his hands around the mug, enjoying the foam on top of the coffee creation, "Thank you, Dipper."

"No problem" his nephew replied, beaming happily at his Grunkle and making one for himself. Mabel picked up the abandoned Unicorn Nightmare she had made, "It can't be that bad" she said, taking a sip of the thick, sugary contents. "Ugh, nope, you were right, this is terrible, what was I thinking?" she cried, tipping the contents down the sink and spitting out what she had drank along with it. Stan huffed as he watched it disappear down the drain, "Stop wasting the beans, they're expensive."

"Bull" Dipper answered, "I bet you stole them"

"You have no proof!"

"The fact that it's you is all the proof I need" Ford said, smirking at his twin over the rim of his cup. Stan rolled his eyes, "So, changing the subject. What about Ethan? He's going to need a birth certificate, proof of his existence! And not to mention medical records"

"I don't know if you've noticed Stanley, but I don't exist either"

"He's a kid, you can't let him have the same life path as you"

"We're both wanted criminals with 4,000 credits on our heads... that's around 500,000 dollars in this dimension"

Stan blinked, shaking away the greed from his mind, "Yeesh, really? Welp, if the police come after us, Ethan's going to be put into foster care, you know that right? Bringing your son back to life has got to be the most irresponsible thing you've ever done!"

Dipper frowned, "Wait, I thought we erased their minds. That day Ford came back, and the goat ate all the evidence"

"What Dipper said, plus I think I know how to get around dimensional customs, Stanley. Besides, I'm not leaving this dimension anytime soon, so I think we're good" Ford replied.

"What about school?"

"Fine! I'll get him on the system, he'll go to school. Now, will you drop it?"

"Thank you, kids got to have somewhat of a normal life, clone or not, when's his birthday?"

"August 6th"

"So, about a month away" Stan said, checking the calendar date in the corner of his eyes. It wasn't an issue really, Dipper and Mabel were both going to stay the rest of the year, while Dipper did his internship with Ford, and Mabel went to the local high school. Ford finished off his coffee, "Yes, actually" he muttered, a little surprised at how close it was. Everyone looked up as Ethan came in to the kitchen, tears running down his face, "... I remember mom..." he choked, his hair stuck up on one side as he hugged his stuffed toy tightly.

Ford set his cup down and pulled the boy into a hug, "I know, I'm sorry" he whispered back, trying to comfort him as best as he could. Ethan froze at his touch as he usually did when Ford touched him. But slowly he melted into it, sobbing harder as his emotions grew unmanageable, and digging his fingers into Fords sweater as he seeked more comfort.

"Is she gone?" Mabel asked, feeling a bit sick as the scent of coffee overwhelmed her. It really didn't mix well with sadness, not to mention the depression that hung in the air. "I don't know" Ford replied, picking Ethan up and sitting him on his lap so he could hug him better. Ethan was a bit confused by it all, it wasn't that he didn't like the hug, it just felt wrong to be comforted by a man he had hated and used. It also felt nice to be loved and wanted, and cared for by someone.

"Do you know where she is?"

"No."

Ethan sniffled and buried his face into Fords sweater, hiding the tears as best as he could, he hated feeling so weak, but in other ways it was a relief to get it all out. Ford tutted softly, "She loved you very much, Ethan" he whispered, trying his best not to cry in front of his family. Mabel stood up as tears pricked her eyes and hurried over to the fridge so she could hide her face behind the door. Stan sighed, "Calm down will ya... you're setting off Mabel."

Ford swallowed thickly, "Sorry" he muttered, "Ethan? How about tomorrow, we go get some things for your room?" he asked. Ethan looked up at him with watery green eyes, illuminated and more vividly green by the tears, "Okay..." he said, his voice strained and stiff. Ford kissed his forehead, "Are you still tired? I need to get on with some work."

"Yeah, just a bit" Ethan replied, his eyes widening as memories flickered in his mind, _his mom, Ford, him, laughing, happy... the sound of gunshots, panic, fear, and then the pain.. his mom screaming._ "You know what, I'm good actually."

"Okay?"

"What are you working on?"

"Dipper theorized that if I use DNA and a memory crystal, it can bring back the memories of that person."

"It could cure Alzheimer!"

"Yes, exactly"

Ethan yawned, "That's a good idea"

"I need to replicate it, anyway, get some sleep, I know you're still tired."

"But I don't want to" Ethan pouted, curling up on his lap like a puppy. He really didn't want to, but he just couldn't help falling asleep as Ford stroked his hair and sipped the fresh cup of coffee Dipper made him. The older man waited till his eyelids slipped closed before he shifted him back to his bed. Once he was sure his son was asleep, he made his way down to the lab to get some work done.


	10. What's For Eating?

It had been a few weeks now since Ethan had returned to a somewhat normal life and he had been finding it very hard to sleep. He was tired, and he was cranky, but he just couldn’t bring himself to close his eyes at night. Nightmares ran rampaged his mind as soon as he drifted into REM, screams, blood, pain and fear cooking up a picture show just for him. He guessed it was some kind of punishment for his crimes as Bill, a way of making him suffer and he accepted it.

Ford had noticed he hadn’t been sleeping properly, and he knew something was up with the boy. Ethan had told him of the nightmares in the beginning, but now claimed they were non existent.

_So why did he look ready to pass out?_

“Ethan are you sleeping okay?” he asked, watching his son slurp up the spaghetti on his plate, and ignoring the knife in favor of holding his rabbit stuffie. Stan and the others were eating in the living room, a movie playing on the TV channel they hadn't wanted to miss.

“Of course, why?”

“You have dark circles under your eyes”

“So do you, maybe it’s genetic... just leave it” Ethan replied, pushing his plate away as his stomach felt sick. A meatball rolled off the noodles still left and across the table, leaving a saucy streak on the tablecloth. Ford watched in silence as he excused himself from the table and left the kitchen, most likely heading to his bedroom to be by himself. He sighed and cleaned up his left behind mess, deciding to go talk to him afterwards.

Ethan pushed open his bedroom door and sighed as he looked at the interior within. It was slowly being put together, spots of silver and lots of green all over the place. There was old and new toys on the floor, secondhand books in the shelf, and games Mabel had found in the cupboards of the house stacked in the corner. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve and sat down on his bed, staring down at the stuffie in his hand and the stains on his shirt.

_Who was he really?_

_Ethan or Bill?_ _And why was he made into Bill?_

_Why had someone thought that had been a good idea?_

_Maybe they were dumb?_

“Bill? I have insomnia, and I know for a fact you don’t” Fords voice said, making him look up in shock as he got a fright. Ethan frowned and kicked his bed, “See, even _you_ dont know who I am!” he cried, tears running down his face. Ford mentally hit himself, “I’m sorry, Ethan, I _meant_ Ethan, I’ve just got to get used to it. It’s an automatic thing” he said quickly, trying to apologize as his son growled, "What's the matter?" he added.

“I dont know anymore! You don’t know anymore! This isn’t working! I was Bill for so long! And Ethan for very little!”

“But if you didn’t die you would be Ethan, always”

“Doesn’t make up for the fact that I was Bill!”

“But not anymore.”

“I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO!!!” Ethan screamed, looking very upset with the world as he dug his free hand into the blankets of his bed. Ford motioned for him to be quiet, “Shhh, how do you want me to help?” he asked, coming over and sitting down beside him. Ethan threw his rabbit at the wall angrily, “I don’t know!” he cried, rushing to pick it back up and hug it close as if apologizing to the inanimate object for throwing it.

“I really want to help, I really do... just tell me how. You can’t sleep right?”

Ethan sniffled, “I honestly dont know... I dont know what I want, I just know it's going to be hard not to be Bill anymore.”

“Well... Let’s try something, it’s called EDMR”

“Huh?”

“It’s a type of therapy, you can’t sleep because of traumatic memories, right?”

“Yeah... it’s my death, and before events too... it hurts”

“Well, I’ve done it before and it helped me, so maybe we could replicate it?”

Ethan sighed and nodded, “Fine...”

“Thank you.” Ford smiled softly as his son leaned into him. “Can I have a hug? I like hugs...” Ethan whispered, his fingers still holding the rabbit in a death grip. Ford wrapped his arms around him, “Of course you can have a hug” he answered, smoothing out his hair. Ethan closed his eyes, comforted by it. Ford waited till his breathing evened out with sleep before he tucked him into bed, finding himself very tired as well. 

Mabel peered around the door a few hours later to find the two curled up on the small bed and fast asleep.

~

“Up at em, squirt and senior!” Mabel cried, clapping loudly as she entered the stuffy bedroom, “We have a busy day of shopping and fun! “ she added, opening the curtains and setting an apple green sweater on the bedside table she had made for the smaller boy. Ethan rubbed his eyes tiredly and sat up, stretching and yawning widely, “Morning...” he grumbled, looking over at Ford as the man moved lightly. “You fell asleep by me?” he asked, blinking in the bright light streaming through the window. Ford nodded, “It appears I did.”

Ethan chuckled and picked up the sweater as it caught his eye, “What’s for breakfast?” he asked, slipping it on over the stained shirt he was wearing from last night. Mabel turned off the nightlight, “Pancakes” she said, waiting for Ford to sit up before she left the room.

“Yum” he muttered, rubbing his eyes under his grubby glasses and cleaning the lens on the cloth he kept tucked in his sweater sleeve.

“I haven’t had pancakes before” Ethan said, "Are they good?"

“Their delicious”

Ethan smirked, “They’re, not their, grammar Stanford” he replied, grabbing his shoes and putting them on as the scent of breakfast wafted up his nose. Ford glared at him, “I’m tired!” he spluttered, huffing as Ethan poked his tongue out at him and skipped away to the kitchen with a giggle. 

Ford followed after him, sitting down by Stan in the empty seat as Ethan sat gazed at the huge stack of pancakes in the middle of the table, fresh and still hot as they steamed away. He looked up as Dipper grabbed a couple and poured syrup on top of them, copying his actions and taking a huge bite once he was done, “Whoa! These are good!”

Ford chuckled, “Yeah, they are” he said, taking one to nibble on as he poured himself some coffee into the mug Mabel passed him. Ethan scoffed the ones he had taken and grabbed for more once he had eaten them all.

_Skipping most of his dinner last night was catching up to him._

“Manners, Ethan” Ford ordered, sipping his hot drink with a satisfied sigh. Ethan looked up at him, syrup and pancake bits around his mouth, “Manners can go to hell! I’m starving!” he retorted. Stan chuckled, “Heh, kinda reminds me of me when I was a kid. I used to do that too, Ford would cheer me on and Ma would tell me off. Pa would smack me with his newspaper when I didn't stop and glare at me over his glasses, I'd always end up too full for my own good."

Ford snorted, he remembered that, "You had a winning streak of nine."

Mabel banged the table with a fist, making them jump and look at her, “Aight, Ethan, what’s your favorite thing? Lego? Books? What?” she asked, Stan's wallet in her hands. Stan let out a surprised noise and grabbed it back, tucking it back in his pocket and glaring at his niece as she grinned.

“Hmm, well, I remember I liked building things with Ford.... so Lego I guess” Ethan replied.

“Why are you calling him Ford and not Dad?” Dipper asked, narrowing his eyes in confusion. Ethan shrugged, Ford feeling nervous all of a sudden. What if he found out? Or worse, they _all_ found out? It was best to make up a lie on the spot, “He’s just always been like that, he can call me dad if he wants to, but he never did in the multiverse... Occasionally.”

Ethan stuffed another pancake into his mouth, “Can we get proper Lego? I saw some experienced stuff at the store yesterday when we went looking for that green rug, looked pretty cool.”

Ford nodded, “I’ll pay for it, sure, let’s go, Mabel, Ethan.”

“I’m not done!” his son cried, grabbing a few more pancakes and bringing his total to six. Stan stared, “Yeesh, you got a bottomless pit for a stomach, kid?”

“I dont know, Ford made me, ask him”

“He doesn’t, his new form is just adjusting and needs more energy, it’ll level out soon” Ford answered.

“See? I’m fine!” Ethan said, burping loudly and then laughing out loud as if it was the funniest thing he had ever heard, “That was a fun noise to make, okay I’m done eating!” he said, getting out of his seat and taking Fords hand as the man stood up. Ford held it tightly and headed to the door, Mabel and Dipper following close behind.

“Is it just me that finds it a bit weird?” Dipper asked, nudging his sister to get her attention.

“What?”

“I don’t know... Something’s just off, like Ethan’s just completely okay with using a clone of his own body, like that’s normal?”

“I find it weird, I mean, I know I died, I know this isn’t my old body.... It’s a lot to get used to.” Ethan piped up, listening to the twins’ conversation as Ford pulled on his coat.

“See, Dip Dop, he’s fine”

“Maybe I’m just being paranoid”

“About what?”

“Nothing” Dipper blurted, not wanting to tell the boy his suspicions in case he was wrong. Mabel punched his shoulder lightly, “Don’t be so paranoid, Dipper, everything’s fine. Now, are you going to come and help spoil our cousin or not?”

“No, I need to stay here, I have extra summer homework to do”

“Not even for an hour or two? Come on, Dipper, bonding time would be good!”

Dipper sighed, “Fine, but as soon as we get back I need to work.”

Mabel clapped her hands and picked up Ethan as he was checking his shoelaces were indeed tied up properly. Ethan let out a small cry of alarm, “Whoa! Hey! Put me down!” he cried, Mabel ignoring his pleading as she raced to the car.

“I have the boy!” she laughed, holding him above her head with surprising strength.

“Put me down!! I’m not a baby!”

“Too late” Ford said with a chuckle, opening the back seat of the car for her and making sure she clipped Ethan into his car seat properly. Ethan pouted and struggled a bit as the clips dug into his front, “I hate this thing, I’m going to grow, right? Then I won’t need this, right?”

“You’ll grow- yes. You’ll get older.” Ford replied, looking a bit dazed as he checked his own wallet just to make he had enough for what they were going to buy. Ethan raised an eyebrow, “What was with the pause and change of tune there, father dearest? Are you okay?” he drawled. Ford laughed nervously, “Sorry, I just got distracted”

“Right.... sure.”

“Anyway, toys, right? Lets go!”


	11. Toys

Ethan rushed to the Lego aisle as soon as they arrived, taking all the ones he found interesting and stacking them in his arms with great difficulty. When he came back he could barely see over the top, but he poked his head out the side and grinned, "Can I get these, please?"

Ford swallowed thickly as he read the huge price tags, he had no idea pieces of plastic could cost so much, "Could you maybe choose just one? Lego is very expensive, and we need to make sure the money is spent appropriately"

"It is? I had no idea... aw man." Ethan replied, setting them down on the floor and spreading them out so he could make his choice. He was finding it rather hard to pick just one. They all looked good in his eyes and he wanted them all. It was such a shame Ford didn't have the money for them. Maybe he could find some of his gold? Trouble is, he couldn't really remember where he had buried it all.

"Which is your favorite?" Ford asked, tapping his foot as he took forever to make a choice. Ethan tugged his hair, "I don't know!" he cried, "I like them all! Help me choose!"

Ford kneeled down and examined the boxes, mostly going to for quantity rather than look, "How about this one?" he asked, holding up the one with the most pieces sealed inside and a big blue spaceship on the front. Ethan nodded and took it, shaking the box as he gazed at the colourful picture on the front of it, "I'll put the others away" he said, handing it to Ford and snapping his fingers. He frowned as the boxes refused to disappear and mentally facepalmed when he realized.

_He didn't have magic anymore! Idiot..._

He gathered up the boxes manually and hurried back to the aisle to put them away. Ford smiled as he watched, finding it quite cute to see him figuring out how to live and act normally. Mabel cocked her head to the side and tugged his sweater as Dipper frowned, "What was with the snappy snap?" she asked.

"Oh, in some multiverse shops you could just snap your fingers at the stuff you didn't want, and it went back to the correct shelf" Ford lied smoothly, mixing up the truth easier knowing it wasn't really a lie. Some high end shops could do that, but they were expensive and contained magical items.

"Whoa, that's pretty cool, wish I could have seen it" Dipper replied, "What else are we getting? Bedside table? He still needs a mirror."

Ford took Ethan's hand as he reappeared and nodded, "Yes, we'll go get that now" he replied, passing his son the box back as he grabbed for it. Mabel smiled, "After this I'll treat you to some ice cream, okay?"

"Okay!" Ethan cried, a grin spreading across his face faster than Waddles could finish off a slice of bread. Dipper chuckled softly and opened up his own Journal, writing something down in it with his pen. He was adding in all of Ethan's strange behavior, a feeling of familiarity with the actions and words he did and spoke. Ford hooked his finger into the back of his shirt and pulled him back before he could walk into a pole. The teen blushed and looked embarrassed, "Oh, uh, thanks, Grunkle Ford"

"What are you writing that could make you so absorbed in your book?"

"Mostly homework notes for when I get back, ideas too."

Mabel giggled, "Nerd."

They stopped at the store they had been heading too and Ethan hurried over, pressing his face against the glass as he inspected the mirrors in the display window. He was making silly faces at himself and smearing sticky fingers and his mouth all over the (hopefully) clean glass.

Ford rolled his eyes and picked him up, setting him down at the entrance, "Ethan, come on, the mirrors are inside, they're just for display, stop making the windows all dirty" he grumbled, hoping they had been cleaned recently. Ethan laughed, "I'm having fun, Sixer, relax, will ya?"

Dipper wrote it down as Ford resisted the urge to flinch, the awful nickname was now only spoken by Stanley, and even he usually tried not to say it anymore. Mabel grabbed her twin's arm and steered him into the shop, "Come on, bro bro, quit dawdling."

"I'm coming, sorry, my mind was elsewhere"

"It always is."

Ethan took Fords hand, "I don't mind what mirror you pick" he spoke, looking up at him with a smile. Ford chuckled and ruffled his hair, "You just want ice cream as quickly as possible, don't you?"

"Perhaps."

"What about a silver framed one?" Dipper asked, gesturing to the selection they had in the corner. Ford nodded, "Yes, they look good, reasonably priced too" he said, picking one up and imagining it in his sons room. Ethan frowned, "It's not _real_ silver, right?"

"No, course not, it would cost far more than it does now if it was."

"It would go nicely with the green too" Ford pointed out. Ethan looked around the limited supply and pointed to one with silver triangles in the corners, "What about that one?" he asked, looking back at his father. Ford gulped, "That's nice, it has ... Triangles in the corners, um, pretty design... suppose"

"Can we, please?" his son begged, eyes big and wide and pleading.

"Are you sure it's what you want?"

"Yes!"

"Alright, alright, don't give me those damn eyes."

Ethan chuckled and nudged Mabel, "Hook, line and sinker."

Ford paid for it and set it into the trolley, "Anything else?" he asked, wondering if perhaps he should have made a list. Ethan shook his head, "Nope, my room's sorted, unless I can have a TV?"

"Can you have a TV? No! Of course not!" Ford scoffed, amusement in his tone of voice.

"Welp, I tried... can we get ice cream now?"

"Yes, and so I don't repeat myself, eat it slowly, you don't want brain freeze!"

Ethan giggled and raced off with Mabel to the ice cream parlor. The boy peering into the see-thru chiller with delighted eyes as he looked at all the tasty treats keeping cold, "Whooooa, look at them all!"

"Make sure they haven't cross-contaminated with the peanut flavour, Ford" Dipper said, making his way to the freezer to see what he wanted for himself. Ford nodded, "Thanks for reminding me" he said, asking the person over the counter. The staff member on duty frowned, "Oh, allergies, huh? Sorry mate, the only flavour I know I haven't scooped with the peanut one is vanilla, not one customer likes that flavour" he answered. Ethan huffed sadly, "It's okay, I'll take that one, ice cream is ice cream."

Ford patted his head, "You can always add sauce and things."

Ethan grinned, happiness restored, "Chocolate and Caramel!" he cried, high-fiving Mabel and practically bouncing around his father as he waited for his scoop to be prepared. The man handed him his cone, and he took a good lick, testing the sauce flavours first, "I like the caramel better than the chocolate, but this is good!"

"A caramel fan, finally! I am too! I may have to buy you come caramel toffees for your birthday, they're the best form of caramel you can eat, guaranteed" Dipper said, happy he at least had something in common with his cousin. Ford paid for the ice cream and nodded at his nephew, "That'd be nice, Ethan hasn't had those before" he interjected.

"They sound fantastic" Ethan replied.

~

Ethan licked the ice cream and sauce stains off his sweater, having made a huge mess back at the mall. Dipper was still scribbling in his notebook beside him, and his apple green eyes caught the drawing of him on the page, "Hey, that's a cool drawing of me, are you doing a journal entry on me?" he asked. Dipper gasped and snapped his book shut, "Just practicing drawing people" he said quickly, "Please don't watch over my shoulder, that's rude."

"Oh, okay" Ethan replied, tugging the Lego box from the floor as he strained at belts holding him into the car seat, "I bet this thing is going to be huge!"

"Nah, it will be small, they just add a lot of packaging"

"Aw man, what a rip off"

Ford chuckled, "It'll still be big enough to play with though, if you're careful"

"Play with? Are you mad? This is a display toy!" Ethan insisted.

"You say that now, but soon you'll be nyyoming it around and making spaceship noises" Mabel replied, making the noises with her own mouth and then tickling Dipper, who screeched and almost threw his book out the moving car. Ford watched them through the rare view mirror as he drove back to the Shack, Dipper seemed oddly suspicious of Ethan and he hoped the boy never found out the truth.

_Who knows how he would react._


	12. Infinity

Ethan had been playing for the past few hours, making noise and talking to whatever creations he had built. He was sitting on the green rug in his bedroom, being a kid and having fun, and for a while the Bill in him was forgotten. The spaceship (now a much smaller ship) had been built twice already, and he was now having a race with the tiny car he made, the mini figurine perched on the planes nose. "And it's the spaceship for the win! Let it be known, folks! Tiny cars don't always mean speed!" he cried, faking the cheers of the invisible crowd as they revealed in the cars defeat.

Ford heard his babble from downstairs and snorted softly as he wrote in his journal, the 'memory crystal' page filling up nicely with his handwriting and drawings. Dipper was doing his homework opposite him, glancing at his work between scribbling, "Grunkle Ford?"

"Yes?"

Dipper set his pen down and sat up in his seat, "Tell me, truthfully, did you somehow use Bill's dead body in the process of making Ethan? It's just a silly idea floating in my mind, but I can't quite get it out of my head" he asked, clasping his fingers together in a serious motion. 

Ford blinked, "You mean the infernal dream Demon that tortured, possessed, and tried to kill me? No, I didn't" he spluttered, trying to sound shocked that Dipper could think such a thing. Dipper tapped the space by his journal with a finger, "You had his body, and you wanted your son back, I've seen him do weird things like Bill did... like call you Sixer... snap his fingers, etc. You also lied to Mabel. So, Grunkle Ford, tell the truth."

Ford rolled his eyes, "Stanley calls me Sixer all the time, and if I snap my fingers, does that mean I'm bill? And I lied to Mabel? You're not a lie detector! Just because it sounds far-fetched doesn't mean it's not true."

Dipper snapped his book shut, making Ford jump at the noise, "I know you're up to something! I'm not dumb! I'm 16! If you don't want to tell me, then don't... but I'm not going to trust you until you do!" he cried, stomping off to go do his homework someplace else. Ethan came in after he had left, confused at the angry teenager as he passed him in the hallway. He shrugged and set his latest Lego creation down on the table beside Fords hand, "I made you your own car."

Ford smiled, "It's nice.... thank you." he replied, pushing it gently so it moved across the table without falling off the side. Ethan cocked his head to the side, "What's the matter? Are you thinking about mom? That's a hurt face" he said, poking his nose with a finger, "Don't be sad, I'm sure she's fine"

"I'm not thinking about her, but yeah, I'm sure she is... She can handle herself."

Ethan grabbed his hand and flipped it over, placing something else onto his palm, "Here, I made this too, I saw it on mom, around her neck in my memories." he said, rolling his fingers up so that Ford could uncover the surprise himself. His father opened his hand and pulled him into a hug once he realized what it was, "That is the infinity charm on the necklace I gave her, you saw that?" he asked, fingers clenching the gift tightly as he tried not to cry.

"Yeah"

"I gave it to her a long time ago, as a symbol of my love.... I love her so much... I miss her everyday..."

"Even after all this time?"

"Always. Thank you, Ethan."

"It's not a problem, now if you'll excuse me, I have another race to set up!" the boy cried, racing off back to his room. Ford watched him go with a smile on his face and tucked the Lego charm into his pocket as he went back to his work.

~

Breakfast was quiet and all eyes were on Ethan as he ate his food more slowly this time, his energy levels finally leveled out enough that he wasn't gorging on food every second. It had been a few weeks since he had finally settled down to a some what normal routine, the only issues were his set bedtime and intake of sugary goods he was allowed to consume.

He was tinkering with an invention at the table as he ate his breakfast, bits of metal and wires all over the place. He had been building it from the spare parts Ford had collected in the multiverse, old weapons and bits of machinery that were more familiar to him than the materials on Earth. Dipper noted he was quick to build, faster than Fiddlefords hands solving the Cubics Cube he owned.

_Ethan was obviously a smart child, just like his father._

Ford was eating muesli opposite him, both wanting to make him stop for fear of endangerment, and intrigued as to what on earth it could be that he was making. As Ethan twirled wires together and added compartments that clicked into place perfectly, he realized what it was. The small object in his hand was a compact blaster/ray gun, pocket size and handy. But, with one press of a button, or swipe of a finger along the touchscreens activation pad and this gun would enlarge, capable of blowing holes right through an enemy, and still be light and durable.

"Ethan?"

His son didn't look up, his tongue poking out his mouth as he peered through the magnified and shaded goggles on his face, he was far too focused on his work. Dipper bit into his toast as Ethan switched on a light that was poking out like an antennae on the side of the frames, "Is that a bomb? Or?" the teen asked, sounding very nervous about the situation. 

_What if he accidentally blew something up?_

Ford laughed, "You think it's a bomb?" he asked, amusement in his tone.

Dipper blushed with embarrassment, "Well, I don't know..." he muttered, adding some more jam to his toast and screwing the lid back on the jar. Ford chuckled more softly, "It's blaster, and by the looks of it a very compact one, packs a punch too for something so small- if you wire it right, Ethan. All I'll say is to be careful of knock back and impact, I'll give to a cartridge from downstairs to power it when you think you've done."

Ethan grinned and pulled one out his pocket, setting it onto the table and ready to add it in, "I already took one." he said cheekily, "We used to go scavenging back home if I remember clearly, sell what we would find and keep the rest, we'd make cool stuff too" he explained to Dipper, clipping the cartridge into place and holding the finished item up. It was small, hand-held and tiny, but with one small swipe of the panel on the side it powered up, and the entire thing expanding to the size of the water cooler on the roof.

Stan gaped and Mabel gasped in shock and wonder, while Ethan grinned from ear to ear, "Oh, yeah!" he cried excitedly, aiming it at Dipper and giggling, "This thing's going to be awesome! I could shoot right through people with this thing! If I wanted too" he said proudly. Dipper ducked as he heard it whir, "Watch it!" he cried, peering above the edge of the table as he crouched low in his seat.

_He did NOT want to become a crispy french fry!_

"Relax, it won't-" 

Ethan's eyes widen as the gun fired, leaving a burning, smoking hole in the wall, right behind where Dipper had been sitting. The teen froze in his seat, thankful he had been alerted by the danger beforehand and had taken the right measures.

"-go off... heh, might need to adjust the sensitivity on the trigger there."

Stan glared at Ford as Dipper's face paled, "And you wonder why I yelled at you when you gave the kids weapons back on their first summer." he grunted, sipped his cup of coffee as he adjusted the newspaper in his hands. Ford smiled sheepishly, "Ethan, we've been over this, you test weapons outside! Not inside, and not at the wall!"

"I didn't mean to!"

"Take the cartridge out then!"

"But it's fine!" Ethan whined, "Let me just adjust the sensitivity and add a safety switch and it won't randomly go off!"

"No, power out, you can still adjust the settings."

Ethan grumped, but did as he was told and Ford breathed easier as it powered down, "Thank you" he said, rolling his eyes as if his son blowing a hole in the wall wasn't a big deal. Ethan set the gun down on the table, "Sorry about the wall, Uncle Stan..."

"I'll get a builder to come around later, maybe one of the lumberjacks could help" Stan grumbled, "I can easily manipulate them into it with a batch of cookies or something."

"I can fix it!" Ethan insisted, "Easy peasy!"

"How?"

"Nano bot sprayer, like we had for the ship."

**(A/N: Like this scene from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 When they crashed and Rocket started spraying stuff onto the ship to repair it.)**

Ford nodded, "Let me just check that first, less you blow another hole into the house."

"I have to make it first! I know we have parts" Ethan replied, tapping his chin as his mind figured out what codes the nano-bots would need to do their job correctly. Wood wasn't on their list of fixable things, but maybe if Stan agreed to a metal wall it would be a heck of a lot easier.

Stan nudged his twin, "So did you have an actual job name back in the multiverse or were you just making it up as you went along?" he asked, changing the subject to something else. Ford huffed, "We did not make it up as we went along, We were tech thief's, scavengers. We took machine parts from different sources and races, crashed ships and abandoned buildings." he answered.

"It was frowned upon, so we hid in the woods" Ethan piped up.

"Yes, making new and better things was very much illegal."

Ethan giggled, "People crashed in our dimension a lot too, something about the gravity and the wormhole field nearby."

"Yeah, but we found a lot of high quality stuff to make money with."

"Remember that spaceship we built!?"

"Yes, you crashed it twice, it took weeks to fix. It was worth it though, fastest thing in the quadrant"

"I liked driving it"

"Your joy-riding nearly got you killed!"

"Ha! Yeah... it did. It was fun though, blasting music on the speakers and nyooming through the trees. pretending to be in a race of a lifetime!" Ethan envisioned, remembering the races he'd had with that amazing ship.

Dipper let out a small whine of fear, the shock at almost being killed dialing down a bit, and the tips of his hair burnt and singed as he flopped on the table. Mabel patting his shoulder, "Bro? Are you okay?" she asked, worried it had traumatized him. Dipper nodded, "F-Fine... s'not like I need my hair for anything anyway..." he replied, eyes wide and his body trembling. Ford gave him a guilty look and winced at the scorch marks on the table, Dipper's breakfast gone.

_Dipper really had been close to dying._

"Sorry, Dipper, you might want to cut off the black parts" Ford said, gesturing to his hair as a smile tugged at his lips. It did look strangely funny, despite it not being something to laugh at. Dipper sat up slowly and took the fresh pieces of toast his sister passed him, giving Ford this look:

His great uncle stood up nervously, "Welp, this has been fun. Ethan, do you want to finish that there or in the lab?" he asked, brushing down his sweater as remnants of the blast stuck to his clothes. Ethan put his bowl into the sink and smiled, "I'm not really that hungry, I'll finish the gun in the lab, maybe eat something at lunch when I'm feeling more up to it" he replied, turning back to wash the items. 

He looked out the window as he waited for the cold water to run hot and his eyes widened as he noticed the small but familiar flash of light, "What are Time Police doing here? I haven't done anything wrong, have I?" he asked, eyes narrowing at the two men that had appeared so suddenly on the lawn. Ford flinched and pulled out his blaster, "Shit, how did they find us this far out!?"

Ethan grabbed his own gun and shoved the cartridge into place, powering it up, "I don't know, and I don't care, but I have a plan!" he cried, sprinting out the door before Ford could stop him, "Ethan! No!" the man called after him, but it was much too late to do anything. The green-eyed boy raced across the grass and stopped nearby, tiny gun raised to greet the two men, dressed in the Time Police uniforms. "State your business!" he cried, glaring angrily at them both and trying his best to look threatening. Zane, the new guy to the team, laughed at the small weapon in the boy's hand, "What? You're threatening us with that?" he asked, not quite believing his eyes at the audacity.

_Did this boy really think that tiny thing would harm them?_

Ethan smirked and swiped the panel, the gun expanding to twice its size, "Yes, actually, I am. Now, STATE YOUR BUSINESS!"

_Well, shit._

"W-We're investigating the possible return of Bill Cipher, after his destruction in Weirdmageddon, and the possible remake/cloning of Ethan, unknown last name, son of Stanford, an inter-dimentional criminal, and seller of highly illegal weapons."

Ethan took off his goggles, "Bill Cipher is dead."

"What's your name, kid?"

"Why?"

"We need to take you in for questioning, you seem to know a lot about him, no?"

Ethan aimed the gun at a tree and fired in two quick successions, the blast hitting them dead on and toppling them over. The loud crash echoed in the quiet of the morning, sending birds flying off in fear as the ground shook, "I'm not going anywhere with you!" the boy growled, green eyes sparkling like gemstones in the sunlight. 

Zane smiled, he recognized those apple green eyes anywhere, from all the files and reports on Bill and Ethan combined, this kid had defeated Time Baby! "You're Ethan, then by default, Bill is back too, now lower your weapon!" he ordered, holding up his own weapon, a bit bigger than the boys, but very powerful. 

But, instead of lowering it like he had expected, Ethan moved the gun back to greet them, "NO! HAND OVER YOUR TELEPORTERS NOW! OR THE NEXT HIT WILL BE ON YOU!" he yelled, not in the mood to play games.

"B-But we need them to get home" Lolph cried, having been quiet the whole time, he really hated this point in time, nothing good ever came from visiting it. Zane nodded in agreement, "Yes, exactly, we need them. What makes you think we're just going to hand them over to you?"

"Oh, don't worry, I'll be bringing you with me, wouldn't want Time Babies lost sheep running off now, would we? STANFORD! GET OUT HERE! WE'RE GOING TO GET MOM!" he yelled, not taking his eyes off them. Ford came out with a smile, his own blaster raised, "And that's how you know he's my son, good job, Ethan" he praised, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Teleporters! Now!" Ethan yelled again, hand on the trigger. Lolph took off his belt and looked at Zane for conformation, and his partner nodded and did the same, "This is humiliating" he muttered, throwing them both to the ten-year-old boy. Ethan caught them and passed one to Ford, clipping his own around his waist and making sure it was secure. 

Ford hurried over and grabbed the two men, taking their guns from them and shoving them forward as Ethan dialed in the point in time he was after. It was now or never, he was going to go rescue his mother and bring her home!

Mabel watched from the kitchen window as they all disappeared in a small flash and frowned, "What just happened?" she asked, sipping her Mabel Juice as it glittered in the cat cup (complete with a twisty straw) she had bought from home with her. Stan, who had also been watching, chuckled, "I don't know, but to me it looked like two grown men got there butts handed to them by a child." he answered, grabbing the scissors from the kitchen drawer and walking over to Dipper who was waiting for him patiently in his seat.

~

They appeared a bit off course from where Ethan had hoped to be. The food market they appeared in alive and bustling as Time Babies police stood at their posts, watching the people buy, sell, and barter for goods and services. "Time Baby has been dead for a couple of years now, he's due to regenerate in about 1000 years, so I'm guessing plenty of time to fight back, yes? Or are you going to kill me again, change me back to Bill, make me a monster just to fight your battles?" Ethan asked, nudging Zane with his gun. 

Lolph trembled beside him, his mouth shut tight. If he ever got out of this he would retire and find a better job to bring honor to his family with, this was just too stressful now, "We had no other choice! It was foretold! You were the only one!" he cried, tears running down his face as he whimpered. Ethan's eyes widened, "Wait, you killed me on purpose? It wasn't just an accident you made use of? You actually planned it!?"

"... We had too..." Lolph replied.

Ethan grabbed the man by the shirt and yanked him down, leaning the gun softly against his temples as he snarled, "Then die, you worthless piece of scum!" he spat, pulling the trigger before Lolph could say another word. Ford watched in shock as his son blew Lolph's head clean off his body and let him fall to the ground, blood splattering his clothes. Ethan turned his attention onto Zane, the last of the two, "Take me to my mom, or I'm doing the same to you" he ordered, wiping the blood from his face as Lolph's body twitched on the ground.

Zane nodded, shaking from head to toe and frozen in place.

"TAKE ME TO MOM! NOW!"

"Okay! Okay!" he cried, "Wh-Where is she? Do you have an idea?"

"My guess the Infinetentiary, which means we'll need a shuttle craft"

"O-One goes up and down every 7.65 minutes at the docks"

"Then hurry up and get us there! Ethan cried, digging the gun into his back as his Father kept a firm grip on the man's shoulder, "Lead the way, hombre!"

Ford kicked one of his ankles and Zane stumbled forward, speed walking to the shuttle to avoid anymore damage to his body. Ethan concentrated on not firing the gun he had made as they neared the shuttle docks, hatred seething in his veins, "I'm going to need you to get us in there and to the control room, or wherever they hold the prisoner files, understand me?"

"Y-Yes" Zane squeaked, waving a hand at a shuttle as it floated down for him. Ethan put his goggles on to hide his eyes and made sure the light was turned off. Somehow people knew who he was because of those green orbs. So, because it was a dead giveaway, he knew he'd have to keep them out of sight. 

He stretched his mouth into a thin line as the doors slid shut behind them and hid the weapon as people clustered around. For a ten-year-old he was far more deadly and capable than most children his age, coupled with the fact he had once been Bill he was more than capable at high-jacking a prison.

Ford grabbed a spare bit of cloth from his pocket and covered his face up to his eyes, making sure it also hid his features. He stood there as the shuttle rose and people chattered, mulling over if this might trigger his son, but he told himself not to worry, the end goal was to get Lena. 

Ethan glanced out the window as the view got darker, the Infinetentiary just viewable as it floated softly above the planet. Ford sighed as he watched it come closer, feeling sick and nervous with the way things were going, "Ethan?" he asked.

"What?" came his dark reply.

"Just... just be ready... in case something happened to her... Okay? I don't want you to get your hopes up..."

"My hopes aren't up, dead or alive, I'm bringing her home."


	13. Lena

Zane reassured the security team and got them inside without a doubt from his fellow work mates. The security room where they were heading was close by and held not only the prisoner files, but the monitor screens that showed every inch of the prison through the eyes of the cameras that had been installed. Ethan kept his gun pressed against his spine, growling if the man faltered in his steps or looked around. Zane was utterly terrified, and what was worse was he was terrified of a ten-year-old. But this boy had been the most feared being in the multiverse and it was a good reason to be scared. 

He pushed open the door once he had swiped his card across the panel and the three entered the room, dark except for the light coming from the many screens. Ethan pushed him forward, "Hurry up, I haven't got time for you to dawdle" he snapped, tapping his foot as Zane hurried over to the console and pulled the keyboard over to him. Ford watched as a feed appeared on one of the screens, and a woman in the typical prison garb sat on the edge of the messy bed, hair gray and wrinkles on her face, just like him. "Lena" he whispered, not quite believing his eyes as he drank her all in. 

_His wife was alive!_

Ethan sprinted up and grabbed the screen, eyes widening, "What cell!?" he asked, looking at Zane wildly. The man removed his fingers from the keyboard, "26zb" he said quietly, "Are you going to kill me?"

"No" Ford replied, taking his swipe card and ID badge from him and tying him to the chair with the wires running across the floor. Zane made a small noise of alarm as Ford stuffed the cloth from around his face into his mouth, shutting him up so he couldn't call for help. Ethan took his outstretched hand, and the two ran out the room, leaving Zane by himself.

"She's old" Ethan spoke up, turning left as his father tugged him through the halls as quickly as possible. Ford chuckled, avoiding the guards on duty and expertly maneuvering them both around the ones they couldn't avoid, "Yes, so am I, what's your point?"

"Nothing, I just keep forgetting you're old..."

Ford stopped and put his hands on his shoulders, "Hey, I'll do whatever it takes to stay on this plane of existence and raise you properly, you deserve the life you didn't have, and I'm not going anywhere until you can look after yourself, is that clear?"

"Thanks, Ford, that means a lot" Ethan replied, hugging him happily, Ford hugged him back and pointed behind him, "Now come on, lets keep going, we're almost there."

"I forgot how big this place was"

"It houses the most wanted criminals... Which is a bit over kill for one human"

"I know what this place is, I've been here before"

"As Bill?"

"Who else?"

"Well, I don't know... I didn't think Bill was that stupid to get himself caught... ignore me" Ford grumped, stopping outside a cell, "Here we are, number 26zb" he added, avoiding his sons nasty look.

_His Father had basically just called him dumb._

Ethan aimed his gun at the lock and shot once, blowing a hole right through it before Ford could swipe the card. He aimed it again at the thick metal hinges and shot right through them, kicking the caved in door with his foot so it would fall. The door creaked and groaned before it fell on its front, making a racket as it hit the ground and rocking back and forth.

"MOM!" he cried, racing inside and standing in front of her with a smile on his face. Lena looked up in shock, still a tiny bit afraid from the door having been blown off. She studied his features carefully, recognition on her face, "...E-Ethan?... But how is this possible? Your the same age?" she whispered, wondering if perhaps she was dreaming.

Ethan wrapped his arms around her and hugged her gently, "Ford can explain. It's good to see you, I missed you so much" he said quietly, feeling tears run down his own face. Lena swallowed thickly, "I..." she looked up as Ford peered in and burst into tears, cradling her boy close, "I thought you were dead!" she cried, collapsing into Ford's arms as the man sat down beside her.

"Hello, Lena" Ford whispered, keeping his arms around his wife as she clung to him. 

"How did you bring him back?"

"I might've... Cloned him. Same soul, new body" Ford said, smiling at her as she pulled away. Lena smiled back at him through the tears and put a hand on his cheek as he tucked her long hair behind her ears, "You haven't changed have you, Mister Explorer?"

"Nope."

Ethan covered his eyes as the two kissed and stuck out his tongue, "Ewww! Come on you guys, not in front of me!" he cried, not in the mood for their romantic affections. Ford pushed him away as the boy tried to break it up. He hadn't seen Lena in years, and he wasn't going to let his child stop his long overdue affections. Ethan sat down beside them as he failed to pull them apart, his hands on his chin as he pouted.

_This was why he tended to stay away from it all. It disgusted him._

Lena grabbed her son once she had pulled away and planted kisses all over his face as she heaved him onto her lap. Ethan made screeching noises as he struggled in her grip and squealed with laughter as Ford tickled him, "We need to get out of here!" he cried, trying hard not to laugh, "Stop the torture!"

Lena chuckled, "Good idea" she said, looking up as a group of heavily armed men appeared at the door, their weapons raised in warning, "Oh dear, too late" she whispered, taking Fords hand in hers. Ford sighed, "Things just never go my way, do they?"

"What do you want!?" Ethan barked, standing up to face them, his chest puffed out to show he wasn't afraid as he stood in front of his parents protectively. They aimed their guns at him instead, "We are here to arrest Bill Cipher, otherwise known as Ethan" the leader answered, the red dots from their weapons all pointed at the ten-year-old's heart. 

Ethan narrowed his eyes at them all, "Why!? What did I do wrong!? I was murdered, my soul was taken, I was turned into a monster! And you expect me to be accused when I did _YOUR_ dirty work!? HOW DARE YOU!" he screeched, a single glowing eye opening up in the middle of his forehead, "IF ANYONE NEEDS TO BE ARRESTED! ITS YOU!" he yelled, raising his hand (now covered in glowing ruins) and flicking his wrist. The men flew back by an invisible force, and Lena felt her heart beating fast in fright as she heard them hit the wall and floor. All of this was so sudden and slightly confusing. When had her son had powers? 

_And what was all this talk of him being Bill Cipher?_

Ford leapt from his seat and hurried over to the door as they were blown back, pilfering a gun from one of the fallen, who groaned and tried his best to stop him in his weak state. Ford whacked him over the head with the butt of the gun, knocking him out instantly. Lena rubbed her eyes and grabbed Ethan around the middle as she followed suit, wanting desperately to get out of here as she picked him up.

Ethan struggled in her grip, "I'm not done!" he cried, snapping his fingers as her grip loosened. The men screamed as their arms and legs broke clean through, the magic pulsing in his veins and making him feel alive as he made them suffer. Lena restrained his arms and legs and hurried after Ford as her husband made for the exit, "Please, Ethan! Lets just go home? Okay?" she soothed, trying to get her angry son to calm down. Ethan growled but took a deep breath and the glowing parts of him disappeared, revealing his green eyes once more, "Sorry mom" he muttered, letting her adjust him in his arms more comfortably.

"I know, we need to talk, but it can wait until we get home, I have so many questions for the both of you" she replied, standing back as Ford took out the guards at the front exit. Ethan handed her his gun and brushed the panel, "Here, take this, I made it" he said proudly, the woman gasping as it expanded fully in her grip.

"Thanks sweetie" Lena replied, firing the gun at one of the guards as he took his opportunity to leap at them. It blew him clean in half and Lena gaped as Ethan laughed madly, "I built that at breakfast, be careful with it" he added, watching the now top-less legs sizzle and smoke.

"It's amazing, wow, powerful, structurally sound, I like it" Lena praised, not bothered by the fact she had just killed someone. Life was hard here in prison, more so out there when she had grown up on her home planet. She had been raised to fight and protect what mattered to her, and if that meant killing so be it.

"You can't keep it!" Ethan stated, "It's mine" he declared.

"Come on!" Ford called out, waving a hand once everything was all clear. Lena hurried after him, the gun ready just in case she had to fight again. Ethan reached out a hand to a button near the door, just as they passed it. Alarms sounding as he pressed it down and all the doors as far as his eyes could see began to open. The criminals inside their cells cheered and flooded into the hallway, fighting and attacking, and raising one hullabaloo. 

Ford skidded over to a shuttle and waited patiently for Lena to catch up as chaos insured inside the space prison. Visitors and guards all but doing their best to either escape or subdue the angry beings that had been locked away for so long. Lena kissed Ford's cheek as she passed him and got into the shuttle, strapping Ethan into one of the seats as the ground wobbled and shook. 

"Hold on kiddo, it might be a bit bumpy" she said, booping his nose and giving him a reassuring smile. Ford hit the down button once the doors had closed and the shuttle jolted as it began to sink back to Earth. "Are you both okay?" he asked, kneeling down in front of Lena as she sat by her son. Ethan nodded, "Yeah, just a bit shocked, I think" he muttered, wiping his nose on his sleeve as his blood trickled over his top lip. Ford ruffled his hair, "Thank goodness, let's go you home and cleaned up."

"Where is home?" Lena asked, "What dimension have you tumbled into now, Mister Explorer?"

Ford beamed, "Home dimension, I made it back"

"Well done, see, I told you you'd return"

"I know, and I didn't believe you, I'm sorry."

Lena smiled, "Nothing to be sorry for, but you do have a lot of explaining to do."

Ethan sniffled, not wanting to get their attention as he cried quietly, he didn't feel right inside. Fords sensitive ears picked it up, "Ethan? What's the matter?" he asked, putting a hand on his knee as he focused his attention onto his boy. Ethan lifted his shoes up, "I got my green shoes covered in blood" he lied, trying to deter the conversation off him.

"Oh... We can wash that out... or buy you a new pair, whichever's easier. Now tell me what's actually on your mind." Ford replied. Ethan looked up at him, tears spilling down his cheeks, "You two still don't seem to care that I was Bill... Do you? I was the bad guy! Aren't you scared of me!?" he sobbed, wiping his face as best as he could as the tears tickled his skin. Ford pulled him into a hug, "Why on earth would I be scared, Ethan? Bill's gone, you don't have to be him and you never really were him."

"But, I still need to atone for my crimes... Axl said so..."

"I'm not going to punish you, if anyone deserves to be punished, it's those horrible people who turned you into Bill... Remember what I've said before? Fear the thing that created the monster... Not the monster itself, there's always someone deadlier behind the creature."

"But I hurt you..."

"So? It happened, I can't change the past and if I tried, I'd create a time paradox..."

"But-"

"You didn't want to hurt me, right?"

"Of course I did, I was Bill, I had plans and ideas, thing to do, heck if it had all gone my way, all of you would be dead... but you guys were persistent."

"No, Bill is something else, not you. Not the _real_ you."

"I'm sorry... but however you want to say it, it's not true. I was Bill, still am... I don't want to be Bill anymore... I want to be Ethan... I want to be your son... I'm sorry I hurt you!"

"I forgive you either way."

Ethan smiled and hugged him back, "Thank you..." he whispered.

"You two are so precious" Lena spoke up, giggling as Ethan stuck out his tongue in protest at her words, "Nah ah!" he grumped, he was manly! Lena returned the favor and stuck out her tongue right back at him, "Ya ha!" she replied, poking his shoulder gently as she tried to cheer him up. 

The shuttle jolted again as it landed on the ground, and Ford unbuckled his son and picked him up. Ethan snuggled into him, his arms around his neck for support as they exited the shuttle. Above them the Infinetentiary was smoking and burning, falling slowly back to Earth with a jarring screech of metal and fire.

"What's the dimension number?" Lena asked, taking the belt from him and putting it on around her waist as they hurried to a more secluded spot. Ford typed in the code for her, "Dimension 46'\" he replied, taking her hand and making sure Ethan was comfortable, "Ready?" he asked, smiling softly as his boy leaned his head on his shoulder so he could look at his mom. Lena nodded, "Very ready" she answered, the two pressing the buttons in unison.

~

It was dark when they returned home, a few cups of coffee and quite a few snacks on the table as they appeared in the kitchen. Stan had been staying up, just to make sure his twin would return to him safe and sound. He was seated at the table, his head on the grainy surface, and his eyes half closed and ready to sleep as the moon lit up the small space. Ford turned on the lights, "Stanley, I'm back." he spoke up, grimacing at the mess. Stan jolted upright and rubbed his eyes, "Oh good, you're not dead."

Ford shook his head, "No, I'm not... Um, Lena, my twin brother Stanley, Stanley, my wife Lena." he said nervously. Stan looked her up and down and frowned before standing up, his back cracking and popping like a glow stick, "Nice to meet you, Lena, thanks for helping my nerdy twin get laid. I'm going to bed" he grumped, shuffling off in his slippers. Ford blushed, "Thank you, Stanley" he muttered under his breath, quite embarrassed by his words. 

His son laughed, "Oh man, please tell me you've had sex before mom, cause that's just sad" he spoke, wriggling to get down. Ford glared dagger at the boy as he set him on the floor, "Ethan Pines that is _very_ inappropriate!"

Ethan shut his mouth, "Damn... I got the full name use"

Lena chuckled.

"Its not funny, Lena, and so what if I haven't had... you know?"

"Can't even say the word, I'm ten and I've had the 'you know' as you call it... Oh boy, that sounds wrong now that I think about it..."

"Yes, it does, please keep that to yourself" Ford huffed, pouring himself some coffee to fight the exhaustion, "Seriously, I don't want to know how bad of parent I am" his father added, taking a sip of the warm beverage and making a face. Ethan's face went red, "Hey, it was fine and legal when it happened, technically I was 40 years old by the time I did it!"

"Enough, go to bed" Ford said, shooing him to his room as he popped the cup into the microwave. Ethan did as he was told and changed out his clothes once he had closed the door. cleaning up in the bathroom once he had put on the Slytherin snake-themed pajamas Mabel had bought for him. He picked up his favorite rabbit stuffie from off the bed and pulled the blankets back, snuggling under the covers as the moons rays shone through the red window, shaped like his old form. He was finally home; he had his dad and his mom in the same house and he felt the most happy he had been in his entire life.

He looked up as he heard a knock and smiled as his Mom peered around his bedroom door, "Do you need to be tucked in? Or is the big bad demon too grown up to be tucked in?" she asked, amusement in her tone of voice.

_She was still finding it weird that he had once been Bill himself._

"Tuck me in!" he cried, excited by the sound of it. He had never been tucked in before, well, not in this lifetime. Lena chuckled and pushed the door open more, sitting down on the edge of the bed once she had closed the curtains. "Do you like my new room?" he asked, "I have Lego!"

"It's very nice, dear... I have something for you, it's been awhile since you've held it, and I've kept it safe from most people who wanted to take it from me" she said, pulling a small, grubby toy from out of her pocket. Ethan's eyes widened as he locked eyes with the rabbit toy from his memories, "You had it all this time?" he whispered, bursting into tears as she pressed it into his hands. Lena kissed his forehead and pulled him into a hug, "Hey, don't cry" she said quietly, "It's okay, shh baby."

"...Th-Thank you..."

"You're welcome"

"How? How do you still have this?" he asked.

"I've had that tucked in my shirt for years, as a reminder of what I lost..."

"Well now, you're not lost anymore, and nether are we" Ford piped up, appearing in the doorway with his now piping hot coffee. Lena nodded, "I feel strange without it, but I hope it helps." she added. Ethan smiled and hugged the toy close, "I think it will help, I've been getting really bad nightmares..." he said, yawning as she tucked him in tightly and placed another kiss on his forehead. Ford smiled from the door as he watched, feeling a bit awkward as he stood there, not sure if he should go in and join them, or stay where he was.

"Goodnight mom, goodnight dad..." Ethan muttered, falling asleep quickly as his mother stroked his hair. It was now Fords turn to cry. That was the first time Ethan had called him dad since he had returned, and it was the best feeling in the world. He hadn't felt like this since the day Ethan had been born, his six-fingered son's cries in his mind as he came into the world. 

Lena stood up and came over to him, taking his hand in hers and reaching up and wiping away the tears from his face, "Are you okay?" she asked. Ford nodded and smiled sadly, "Yes, just happy that I have my family back."


	14. Bath

Ethan was sleeping in despite the heat from the Summer sun streaming in through the gap in the curtains, and casting his room in a sickly orange glow. He was lying on his back with his blankets askew and his jammies twisted around him from the constant tossing and turning. The old rabbit toy was in his right hand, while the new one was on the floor, abandoned for the original.

Ford pushed open the door and stood there for a few moments, content to watch his son sleep before he hurried over and kneeled down at his bedside, “Ethan? It’s breakfast time, do you want pancakes?” he asked, gently shaking his shoulder.

His son grumbled, “I want sleep for breakfast....” came his tried reply. Ford tickled the back of his neck, making Ethan jump and squeal, the rabbit toy finding itself shoved into Fords mouth in a knee-jerk reaction. Ford blinked and spat out the toy, “Paaaannncakkkeesss” he whispered loudly, tucking the toy back into Ethan’s hand.

“Sleeeeeeepppp”

“Maaaaple Syruuuup”

“Warm blankets”

“Sugar”

“Pillow”

“What about your mom?”

“Go away!...” Ethan whined, hugging his pillow close and keeping his eyes closed, determined to sleep the day away. Ford stood back up and ripped off the sheets and blankets, “Nope, come on, time to get up” he ordered.

“But I’m tired...”

“When were you planning to get up”

“Never, Imma sleep forever...”

“In that case I may just have to drag you to the breakfast table myself” Ford replied, grabbing his son by the ankle and lifting him off the mattress. Ethan yelped in shock as he was pulled from the bed and practically dragged to the kitchen, the poor boy still hugging his pillow to his chest. Mabel waved to them both as they entered the kitchen, “Morning!” she said cheerfully, munching on a pancake as Lena sat nearby, sipping her cup of coffee.

Ford smiled, “Morning, look what the cat dragged in” he said, holding Ethan up as if he were a prized fish and not a human child. Ethan grumbled, “We did a prison break yesterday! Let me sleeeeeppp...” he complained.

“Cry me a river, I’ve done worse” Ford replied, setting him down on the floor. Ethan huffed and made himself comfy on the ground with his pillow.

_If he wasn’t allowed to stay in bed, he’d sleep here instead._

Ford crossed his arms at the stubborn boy and sat down at the table, “I tried and I failed” he muttered, taking the cup of coffee Lena passed him. Dipper came into the kitchen, his nose in his journal, he didn’t see Ethan at all and tripped over him. With a shocked cry and a flying journal later, he tumbled to the floor, Ethan snoring softly and unaware of his cousins accident now that he was fast asleep.

“Good Morning, Dipper, please watch your footing on The Ethan” Ford said, helping him to his feet. Stan stepped over the boy as he entered the kitchen and poured some coffee into his favorite mug, he was far more observant than his nephew was, “Right, now that I have a decent amount of sleep, and have coffee on hand. Can I just say, where did this part of the family come from?” he asked, gesturing to Lena and Ethan, “Because it’s like they came out of nowhere, and I need someone to explain.”

Before anyone could answer, Ethan let out a scream of fear and bolted upright, panting heavily as he sat there, and trying to calm his beating heart. Ford frowned, “Ethan? Are you okay?” he asked, worried for him. Ethan nodded, “Nightmare...” his son replied, picking up his pillow and heading back to his room as the bad dream melted away.

Lena patted Fords shoulder and gave him a smile, “Well, Stanley, I met Ford while he was checking out my dimension. He was inspecting all the stalls at the marketplace with such strange curiosity that it caught my attention. I hadn’t seen someone so interested in such cheap trinkets. We fell in love and settled down in the woods, far from prying eyes and of course the people that wanted him. Soon I had Ehan, later changed to Ethan. After a few happy years together our location was compromised, I was taken prisoner, Ethan was murdered and Ford escaped into the multiverse.”

“Ehan means full moon in Arabic” Dipper piped up, writing it all down in his journal excitedly. All this information was handy to know. Lena nodded, “Yes, I had Ethan on a full moon. Ford suggested Ethan because it meant strong, and he wanted our boy to be strong, didn’t you, dear?”

Ford nodded, “I liked the name too.”

Ethan reappeared, dressed in his day clothes and looking tired and worn out for a usually energetic ten-year-old. He sat down in an empty seat and pushed his empty plate over to the pancake stack, “Pancakes please...” he asked nicely, waiting till his mother had popped a few onto his plate before he pulled it back. Dipper closed his journal, “So, can you explain the whole Bill Cipher is back thing? Like you mentioned last night after you put Ethan to bed.”

Everyone went silent and looked at Ford, who cringed and nodded, “I know, I know, I’m sorry for lying to you, Dipper, but it was necessary” he replied, looking at Ethan for conformation that he could explain everything. Ethan nodded, “Let me explain it. I was Bill, I came back from the dead, well, I wasn’t actually dead to begin with... Ford brought me here, somehow figured out I was his son, cloned me a new body, then used a transmutation circle to sort my soul into it. Doing so he would need to kill old me, hence why you saw the dead triangle form. I had no idea Ford was my dad as Bill, and I thought he was having me on at first. Because my memories of my past life had become lost to me and I couldn’t remember. That memory crystal you found helped in retrieving them... it’s still a bit weird for me... and I understand how hard it might be to accept me as family. But just know that I want nothing more than to be a part of it now... and I’m sorry for all the trouble I caused you.”

“How did you become Bill Cipher?” Mabel asked, adding sprinkles to her breakfast and a swirl of whipped cream. Ethan finished his mouthful of pancake, “I was murdered, I’m guessing the Time Police found out about the future, my future, and set about making sure it came true. I destroyed Time Baby during Weirdmageddon, when he came to arrest me for time violations. I’ve done their dirty work, so I don’t understand why won’t they leave me alone.”

“Maybe they think you’re still a threat?”

“Maybe...”

“What was the process?” Stan asked, “In changing you?”

_A soul from the future, taken back to the past, the only way to defeat his wrath._

“They took my soul and turned it into Bill, gave me magic and power and sent me away into the multiverse alone, dark and evil... I had no idea who I had once been. I hadn’t existed, and then I had. That was that, I don’t know the exact process and my early days are still very blurry.”

“I think it’s best if you don’t know” Ford replied, “Leave it a mystery.”

“I knew it!” Dipper cried, holding up his Journal entries, “I knew you were Bill!”

“Whoop de doo, good for you” Ethan muttered, “Stop being so paranoid, Dipper, it’s not a good look on you, grow up” he added moodily, pouring more syrup onto his pancakes and cutting off a decent bite before he stuffed it into his mouth. Ford passed over a few napkins as he made a mess, “Manners, Ethan, Dipper, I’m sorry I lied to you but... I’m sure you understand why.”

“I understand, but you still didn’t need to lie to me, to all of us”

“I had my reasons.”

Lena smiled and gently booped Ethan’s cheek as he got syrup everywhere, “You need a bath mister, when was the last time you had one?” she asked. Ethan chewed as he thought, “Uhh, never?” he replied, trying to remember when he had last bathed back in his old life. Ford gave him another pancake as he devoured the first three quickly, “You definitely need a bath then.” he said, trying to clean his face off. Ethan wriggled, “What!? No! I’m fine! Stop that! I’m not a baby!”

“Nope, I’ve had it with sweaty boys, you’re having a bath and that’s final” Ford muttered, remembering the old days when Dipper had refused to take a bath, even after Weirdmageddon had been over. Ethan pouted, “I’m not sweaty!”

Ford threw the used napkin in the trash, “You’ve been to another dimension, I want you to take a bath after breakfast.” he said strictly, happy he had cleaned up most of his face, although there were still the odd syrup patches around his mouth.

_It would have to do for now._

“I don’t know how...” Ethan muttered.

“I’ll run you one” Lena said, standing up to go do just that, “Eat up and meet me in the bathroom when you’ve done” she added, ruffling his hair and placing a kiss on his forehead. Ethan grumbled, he wasn’t happy about this, it was just another thing he hated about being human.

Bathing daily and keeping one’s hygiene under control was a manual task that wasted so much time, and he wished he could use his magic to clean himself in a snap. But his magic had only returned when he had needed it most and he found he no longer had control over it like he use too, “And It wasn’t another dimension, Dad, it was the future” he corrected, finishing his breakfast and making his way to the bathroom.

His mother was just finishing off filling the tub, soapy bubbles lining the surface as it steamed, “You can’t make me get in” he said stubbornly. But Lena wasn’t in the mood for his grumpy attitude or stubbornness. She picked him up and stripped him off quickly, dunking him in the water, “I can make you, and very easily too.” she said, noticing the scars on his back with a frown and feeling sick as she examined them. Three large starburst shaped scars were spread across his back, one near his right lung, one on his shoulder blade, and the third one was situated on his left kidney.

_Were these the bullet wounds that had ended her son’s life?_

“LET ME OUT AT ONCE!” he cried, struggling to slip out the tub and splashing the water as he wriggled about. But his mom was too strong for him, and he couldn’t move a single inch from where she had him. Lena chuckled at his cute attempts to free himself, “Nope, how about you settle down, play with the bubbles, be a kid?” she said, wiping a few bubbles onto his nose and giggling as he went cross-eyed trying to see it.

“I don’t want to!” Ethan growled.

Lena ignored him and started washing his grubby hair, humming a soft tune and relaxing her grip on him as her son slowly but surely relaxed at the touch. He looked down at the bubbles as she scrubbed away, watching them pop and float about in the water. They didn’t seem practical or have a purpose, they simply existed for amusement.

_Kids loved bubbles, right?_

Lena finished washing his hair and used a cup to rinse out the shampoo, “Is that it?” he asked, wondering if he had kicked up a fuss for no reason. Lena shook her head, “No, you need to wash the rest of your body, but you can do that yourself.”

“With what?”

Lena handed him a flannel, “Soap and scrubbing.”

“Oh” Ethan replied, taking the thing of soap she also passed him. The slippery bar shot out of his hand and fell into the tub with a small splash, and he tried desperately to retrieve it as it stubbornly refused to stay in his grip. Lena chuckled, “When you’ve done, rinse off and get out, dry yourself off with this towel” she said, putting the folded towel on the edge of the sink for him, “Try not to make too much of a mess, keep the water in the tub.”

Ethan nodded as he finally restrained the soap, “Okay, mom” he replied, waiting for her to go before he started on the rest of his tiny self. He started with his neck and worked his way down, actually enjoying feeling clean as his skin squeaked at his touch. He realized that this was why people bathed, why they spent hours making themselves smell good, and the meaning behind the words squeaky clean.

_It felt good to be clean, even if it took up valuable time, as Dipper had once said._

By the time he was done, he was clean as a whistle and drying himself off with the towel as he dripped water onto the bath mat. The many scars on his body always confusing him when he noticed them. He had them on his chest, arms, legs and back, random and uneven. He guessed that his body had gotten them from back in his old life, when he had crashed the spaceship and gotten into clumsy incidents. He made a mental note to ask Ford about them later, just to see if they each had a story to tell.

_His memories weren’t exactly clear._

He wrapped the towel around his waist and peered out the bathroom, making sure his mother wasn’t going to jump him and put him back in the bath. With the all clear, he hurried back to his room to get dressed into some cleaner clothing. Lena watched him hurry back to his room and returned to the kitchen after cleaning up after him, “Interesting fact, Ford, our son doesn’t like baths” she said, sitting down beside him. Ford chuckled, an amused smile on his face, “He screamed so loudly I think everyone heard his protests.”

Ethan returned to the kitchen a few minutes later, dressed in his green sweater, black shorts and a pair of silver socks, “Did you wash behind your ears?” his father asked, using his fingers to fix his messy, damp hair into a more tidy hairstyle. Ethan stared blankly, “What?”

“Do you know what ears are?”

“Of course I do! I didn’t know I had to clean behind them!”

“Just checking”

“Do I have to go back and clean behind them?”

“No, just remember next time” Ford replied, wincing as Lena stepped on his foot and glared at him. Ford bit his lip, trying not to cry as his foot smarted painfully, “Is something wrong?” he asked. Lena nodded, “If you don’t look after him properly, or give him discipline, he’s going to get lazy around the important things” his wife said.

“Okay, I’m sorry, please don’t hurt me again, that hurt.”

“I won’t, sorry. Now rephrase what you told Ethan”

Ford grumped, not used to being told off, “Ethan? Go wash behind your ears, there’s a good boy.”

“What!? Ughhh!” Ethan stomped off back to the bathroom and grabbed the flannel still sitting at the bottom of the bathtub in a wet heap. After wringing it out and reapplying warmer water from the sink tap, he scrubbed behind his ears, muttering curse words to the mirror. He stopped after a bit, mostly to stare, he hadn’t really realized how green his eyes were. They were like emeralds but lighter, or the same colour as granny smith apples. Out of all the humans he had met so far, none of them had had such colour before.

_Was it unique? Or was it a trait only his mother’s kind owned?_

“What was the point of that again?” Ford asked, rubbing his foot with a hand as it continued to hurt, “because I don’t think it’s worth a bruised foot.”

Lena chuckled, “He needs to learn to keep clean, it’s healthy”

“He was clean but okay, sure.”

Mabel giggled, “I could see his grotty ears from here, Grunkle Ford, they weren’t clean” she replied. Ford put his hands up in surrender and Lena hugging him, “Relax, now, what does this dimension have for Ethan? Schooling? Do you you guys have that?”

“Yes, dear, they have a school system and it’s free”

“Can Ethan go to one? I’d like him to have some education at the very least”

“Sure, I need to put him on the system, it that won’t be hard.”

“Are you seriously talking about school? I don’t need school! I know everything!” Ethan cried, his ears red and squeaky clean. Mabel hit the table with a fist, “What’s 45 times 765?” she asked, quickly pointing at him with a finger. Ethan opened his mouth confidently, then frowned, “Heeeeyyyy! Where’s my knowledge gone!?” he whined.

“Oof, no doubt about it, you’re going to school” Ford replied, “And the answer is 34425”

“NO! I’M NOT GOING TO BE LEARNING BABY STUFF WITH A BUNCH OF CHILDREN! Those snot-nosed brats are disgusting!”

Ford snorted, “They wouldn’t be, they’ll be the same age as you”

“Ugh.”

“It’s just for a few years, if you don’t go to school, you won’t get a job”

Ethan crossed his arms, “Why on earth would I want a job?”

“To get money. You need money to pay for a house, food, electricity”

“Can’t I just stay here?”

“No, you cannot”

“Why not!? It’s free! And I don’t have to pay for anything!” Ethan cried, not believing Ford wouldn’t let him stay here when he was older. Lena chuckled, “You really don’t understand how the world works, do you, kiddo? This is why you need to go to school”

Ethan pouted, “Fine, but I’m going to complain the whole time”

“That’s the spirit!”


	15. School

**(Song for the rest of the story:[Fight Song - Rachel Platten](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8qDOGLCSFo))**

He was dressed in a black button up tshirt, patterned with green triangles, the collar turned upwards which was supposed to make him cool according to Mabel, and hide the scars. On his feet were his favorite off-brand green converses, brand new and cleaner than his old blood-stained ones at home. He looked up at his father as they stood by the gates of the school and swallowed nervously as the sound of children could be heard, screaming and shouting as they played and mingled. Ford ruffled his hair, “Stop looking so nervous, you're making me nervous” he said, smiling down at his son.

“People are staring at me...”

“Obviously, they’ve never seen you, or me before.... I forgot how much I hated school”

“Ugh, don’t say that, now I don’t want to go at all” Ethan grumped, adjusting his school bag and heading back to the car, “I want to go home.”

Ford grabbed him by the shoulder and steered him back, “Nope, you’re going, just ignore me. That was years and years ago, I just had to deal with a bit more because of my extra fingers” he said with a sigh. Ethan looked down at his own hands, five fingers on each hand and easy to move. There was a small scar running down the sides of his hands, small and thin.

_He hadn’t noticed that before._

“Are you sure I didn’t have six fingers?” he asked, holding up his hands so Ford could see the scarring. Ford looked away guilty, “You did.” he answered, fiddling with his coat sleeves. Ethan grumped, “Then where are they?” he asked.

“Gone, they were cut off, you didn’t need them” Ford said gruffly, “I’m sorry, it was for the best, oh, and you do have your epi-pens, right?” he asked, changing the subject so he wouldn't have to talk about it. Ethan nodded and pulled two from his pocket, “Yes Dad” he said tiredly. Ford smiled and gestured to the school grounds, “Excellent, well, have a good day, try to um, act normal... Make a friend.”

Ethan huffed and walked through the gates, ignoring the gazes of students and the giggling of the girls, who were whispering to each other and seemed rather excited about him. The boys jeered and scoffed, trying to deduce whether he would be a threat, or their next unfortunate victim.

He made it to his class just as the bell rang and looked up from his timetable as he appeared at the door, “Is this class 42?” he asked, looking around the room at all the students. The teacher smiled and nodded, “Yes, are you Ethan?”

Ethan nodded.

The teacher motioned to an empty seat, “Just a few things before we get started, class. Today we have a new student with us, Ethan Pines. So make sure you say hello and welcome him to homeroom” she said loudly, addressing her students as Ethan took a seat. He unpacked his things into his desk and leaned back, getting annoyed as someone behind him kicked the back of his seat. He turned around to see Gideon Gleeful, a few years older than he was and almost ready to start high school, “Can I help you, Gideon?” he asked, green eyes flashing with disrespect.

“You’re a Pines, right? How come I haven’t seen you around?”

“I was away”

“I bet” Gideon said with a snort, leaning on his desk with his elbows and continuing to look at him. Ethan snarled, “What do you want? Cause I ain’t here to deal with bullies.” he sneered. Gideon smiled and held out his hand in a friendly manner, “Relax, how about we start with a handshake and a friendly tone of voice, names Gideon Gleeful” he mused, waiting for him to take it. Ethan poked it with a finger, as if disgusted by them, “I know who you are, I'm Ethan Pines, as you’re aware.”

“So, how about a friend?”

“You want to be my friend?”

“Yup!”

Ethan took out his drawing book, “Sure, I could use someone to show me around. Mom and dad insisted I go to school, but it’s lame and I have no idea where everything is...” he said, trailing off as he concentrated on finishing a WIP. 

**(A/N: WIP stands for Work In Progress)**

“Who is your mom and dad?”

“Stanford Pines and Lena Pines.”

Gideon gaped, “The author of the journals?” he asked, not quite believing it. Ethan nodded, “Yes, the author of the journals... hey does this say PE class?” he asked, showing him something on his timetable. Gideon squinted at the inky writing and nodded, “Yup, I hate it though.”

“I don’t have a PE Uniform yet”

“Too bad, they’ll make you do it anyway, you'll get the spare uniform” Gideon replied, shivering in disgust at the thought of it. “Ugh... I just wanna go home...” Ethan whined, tucking the time table into his pocket and focusing on what the teacher was saying. Gideon smiled and offered him some gum, “Hang in there, it’s not that bad.”

“Thanks, Gideon.”

~

He looked around at all the boys getting changed and stood there awkwardly as he waited for the coach to get him the dreaded spare uniform. The man threw it at him as he passed the door and blew his whistle, “Hurry it up, Pines! Haven’t got all day for you to dilly dally! Get changed!” he ordered. Ethan gulped, looking around for a more secluded spot to change in, but it was hopeless as there wasn’t a single spot he could hide.

He hurried over to an spare place by the door and slowly unbuttoned his shirt, hyper-aware of everyone staring at him. Everyone gasped loudly as he took it off, the ugly starburst shaped scars on his back on display. He ignored them all and held the uniform up, his nose wrinkling at the smell.

_When was the last time this thing had been washed?_

“What in tarnation happened to you?” came Gideon's shocked voice, the boy peering out from behind a selection of lockers to see what everyone was muttering about. Ethan quickly tugged on the smelly shirt, “It doesn’t matter!” he cried, rushing out the changing rooms before he could ask him anymore questions. Gideon followed, “Sorry, it's uh, it's dodge-ball today, hope you have your a-game”

“What’s dodge-ball?”

"Rubber balls get thrown at you, if there’s a ball next to you, throw it at the opposition, if you hit someone, they’re out.” Gideon explained. Ethan smiled, “Oh! What fun!” he said happily, perhaps PE wouldn’t be so bad after all. Gideon stopped him, "Also, if you catch the ball being thrown at you, the person that threw it is out” he added, making sure Ethan was well aware of the rules. 

The scarred boy nodded and hurried over to the rest of the group, waiting to be picked for teams. A tall boy named Zack was getting his own team together, calling out names while the other leader did the same, the coach monitoring them from afar. Ethan watched everyone hurry to their sides until it was only him and Gideon left on the court, both of them awaiting anxiously to be picked. 

He tried to look strong, his green eyes boring into Zacks own with a begging gaze. Zack smirked, “New kid thinks he’s strong? Gids, get over here, the other team can have him.” he said, waving his hand to the chubby pre-teen. Ethan gritted his teeth as the other team whined at their loss, accepting Ethan since he was the only one left.

Once the game started it appeared it was every man for himself, Zack targeting him, and only him. He used magic to avoid the balls being thrown, flinging his own at Zacks team mates and hitting them perfectly, marking them as out. Zack was utterly shocked, but kept up his game, “You think I’m not strong, Zachary?” Ethan jeered, facing him with a smirk.

_It was just the two of them now._

“Don’t you _dare_ call me that” Zack snarled, picking up a ball as it was rolled over to him. Ethan did the same, his team grinning and their fingers crossed for the win, they had underestimated the new boy. “But that’s your name, isn’t it? How about we end this?” Ethan called out, throwing the ball at such a speed, that Zack barely had any time to react. 

The bully was knocked off his feet and the whistle blew, “I don’t play nice, Zack, especially to people like you” Ethan said, bowing as his team burst into cheers and applause. Zack sat up, looking a bit dazed as his friend hauled him to his feet, “You’re going to pay for that, Newbie!!”

Ethan ignored him and headed to the changing rooms to get changed, just as the coach blowed the whistle again for the end of class. Gideon followed after him with a huge smile on his face, “That was so cool!” he cried, patting his shoulder with his own slightly chubby hand.

“I don’t like bullies” Ethan replied, taking off the shirt and grimacing at the sweat on his skin, “And I sure as hell don’t like sweating” he complained, throwing the shirt to the floor.

_Just another human issue he detested._

The coach threw a bar of soap at him as he picked it up, “Then go have a shower, boy!” he ordered, pointing to the open space at the back, that was slowly filling up with grubby (and naked) boys looking to clean off. Ethan grimaced, “I’m good” he said, pulling a thingy of wet wipes out his backpack instead and ignoring the looks of the others as he wiped himself clean.

_Dipper had suggested them and they were a lifesaver._

Ethan grabbed his things when he was done and got dressed, pulling his timetable from his pocket, “Lets see, what’s next? Ooooh, Robotics! I love building stuff!” he cooed, not noticing the roll of Gideon's eyes, “Don’t get your hopes up, it’s a complete drag” he remarked.

“I build guns at breakfast time, this should be a sinch” Ethan replied, hurrying to the class with a sparkle in his eyes. The robotics lab wasn’t as big as his dad’s lab, but had everything he could need to build something from his imagination. Boxes of wires, tech bits, and pieces of metal and circuit boards were stacked in the shelving that lined the walls, messy and unorganized, “Heck yes!” he cried, punching the air with a fist. 

Gideon chuckled, “You’re a nerd, aren’t you?”

“Have you _met_ my dad?”

“Well, not personally, but I get your point.”

Ethan smiled and took a seat, “And you haven’t met my mom Lena, she’s from another dimension, by the way... Dad met her when he was stuck in the multiverse.”

“So he really _did_ go to another dimension?”

“Yes... weren’t you around during Weirdmageddon? You’re a part of the zodiac, Ford should have briefed you-“ Ethan went silent as the teacher shushed everyone, “Class, today is a creative project, I want you to build something random, the first thing that comes to mind. But keep in mind that it has to work and have a reason or a mission for its existence, and yes, a light bulb circuit counts, lazy it may be.”

Ethan put his hand up, 

“Yes?” the teacher asked.

“How much time do we have?”

“The whole lesson.”

Ethan grinned excitedly and turned to look at Gideon, “I can make something in less than an hour easy!”

~

Gideon fiddled with the light bulb circuit he was building, a simple project and an easy mark, “What you makin’?” he asked, looking over at Ethan’s huge work pile. His friend lifted the small device up to show him, “Teleporter, new and improved from what the Time Police have, I took notice of their model and realized it was designed only for two-person use, and was restricted to a belt. With this design it doesn’t matter who it is, as long as they’re holding my hand and / or are in a certain radius. I can teleport them anywhere!”

“Whoa...”

“Of course, Earths basic materials aren’t very strong, so it might blow up.”

Gideon gulped, “Um... Maybe you should build something more basic? That’s incredible, really, it is, but the teachers gonna think you’re crazy.”

“It’ll work, I just need to make a few adjustments, make the walls stronger to contain the field” Ethan replied, adding more metal to the devices shell, “The thickness should keep it from blowing up, but it doesn’t always work.” he added, tightening the screws, “There! Hey teach? I’m done!”

The teacher stood up from his desk with a stretch of his back and walked over to inspect the first finished project, “Oh? And what have you made?” he asked, putting his hands behind his back. “A Teleporter” Ethan replied, ignoring the laughter from the students as he held it up. 

The teacher frowned, “I see... Could we perhaps test it?”

“Of course! How about I take you to the other side of the classroom?” Ethan said, dialing in the right coordinates and holding out his hand. The teacher took it, confusion on his face and worried what the device might do. But he wasn't expecting anything to happen. Ethan pushed the button, and they disappeared, much to the shock of the students, all of them gasping as they reappeared at the other side of the room. 

The device started smoking and Ethan dropped it with a yelp as it burned, “Yes! It works, but uh, the materials you have provided aren’t strong enough, it’s going to blow.”

“What on earth-...”

Ethan pushed him out the way as he refused to move, a look of shock on his features. The device exploded and the students screamed and ducked for cover as bits went flying. Ethan waved his hand and coughed as the smoke clouded the room, pouring the teachers cup of coffee onto the flaming and half melted project. 

“Sorry about that.”

The teacher rubbed his eyes and slapped his own face, trying to think clearly, “So, did I actually just teleport?” he asked, grabbing the fire extinguisher from the wall by his chair. Ethan nodded, “Yes, but don't worry, I’ll make a better one at home, I have otherworldly materials I can use from my dad’s lab.”

“Your dad’s not the six-fingered scientist, is he?”

“His name is Stanford Pines, and yes, yes he is.”

“Well, that explains a lot of things, phew.... Ethan, I’ll ask that you don’t make anything that can explode or is highly likely to explode ever again in my class. That was the weirdest feeling I have ever felt, being molecularly transported through space-time, I don’t know what you do at home normally, but please can you refrain from doing sci-fi tech in here?” the teacher asked, pleading with him softly. 

Ethan frowned, “But what else am I supposed to build? I could make robots, but I’m guessing you guys don’t have A.I. yet do you?”

“Um... Basic A.I., you can program your own?”

“Of course! A.I. is easy.”

The bell rang, and the teacher sat down, leaning the unused fire extinguisher on his lap, “This is a good moment to stop, off you go children” he said tiredly, looking forward to a break and a fresh cup of coffee to wake him up. Ethan sighed and grabbed his school bag, “Lunch time, right, Gideon?”

“Yup”

“Is there a seating plan?”

“Nope, but everyone has their own seats and stuff, that are mutually agreed upon”

“Can I sit with you?”

“Sure.”

~

Ethan followed Gideon over to his table and sat down opposite him, “Quick question, do you have anything with peanuts in it?” he asked, taking out his lunchbox from his backpack. Gideon peered into his sandwich and nodded, “Yes, I have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, Why?”

“Try to keep it away from me, I have a bad allergy” he answered, Zack overhearing his talk as he walked past the two. An idea formed in his mind and he nudged his friends and nodded, whispering his plan of action as they sat down not too far away from them.

Ethan took a bite of his apple, “I have a couple of epi-pens, just in case, but yeah...”

“I won’t bring anything that has peanuts in it, if that helps?”

“No no, don’t be limiting your diet for me, I can handle myself”

“I’ll try to keep away from it, anyway.”

“Appreciated” Ethan replied, munching quietly at his food as he inspected the lunch room. All the girls his age were watching him and giggling, “Seems I’m liked, good” he smirked, closing his lunch box lid with a click. The plain green plastic has his name on it via Fords handy dandy label maker, and a smiley face which he himself had drawn onto it with a black marker.

“Well, you do have very green eyes.”

Ethan smirked, “Smitten, Gideon?” he asked, leaning on his hand and tapping his cheek. Gideon glared, “I’m just saying, that’s probably what the girls are swooning over!” he cried, angrily taking a bite of his muesli bar. Ethan laughed, “I was kidding, kid, relax will ya?”

Gideon blinked, feeling like he had heard that phrase before, but he shook off that feeling as he uncovered the cupcake in his bag. Ethan finished his apple and opened his lunchbox back up, taking out the sandwich and a few packets of non-peanut items, “I swear Mabel was making muffins this morning for me, why didn’t I get one?” he muttered to himself. “So, Gid, how are your grades and stuff?”

“Meh, they’re alright, about average really”

“I think the only thing I’m going to have issues with is math, to be honest.”

“Ugh, agreed, I hate math, dramas my favorite”

“Drama? What’s that?”

“Performance, plays, theater... The stage?”

Ethan’s eyes lit up. “Ooooo! That sounds fun! Do they have music class? You know, piano, violin and stuff?”

“Yup, that’s my second favorite.”

“Great, Imma sign up, I wonder if I can still play the piano, might be nice to try” Ethan replied, looking up as Zack dropped his tray onto the table and sat down beside him. He eyed the packet of peanuts among the boy’s lunch but didn’t say anything “Can I help you loser?”

Zack snorted, “Not very friendly, are you?” he declared, picking up the bag of peanuts and opening it with difficulty. Ethan kept his eye on it, “You _have_ been rude to me, and you _did_ lose at dodge ball, what do you want?”

“I just came to say hi... You know, like the teacher said to.”

Ethan moved away from him, “You said hi, so say goodbye” he grumped, finishing off his lunch. Zack poured some of the nuts into his mouth and chewed with his mouth open, making a mess all over the table. Ethan’s eye twitched, “Don’t you have other people to bother? Go away!”

Zack moved closer, “Why? Sorry, do these bother you?” he asked, waving the packet around.

“No, you bother me, fuck off!!”

Zack shuffled closer, “Watch it, newbie, you’re on thin ice, you slip up and I’ll be there... And one day, I might just slip a surprise into your lunch, as a gift” he whispered harshly, crunching loudly on the peanuts in his mouth. Ethan glared till he left, moving down more to avoid the nut-zone, just in case the crumbs he had left behind would do damage.

He looked over at Zack as the boy hurried back to his seat and flicked a finger, tying his shoelaces together with a bit of magic. Zack let out a cry of alarm as he fell forward, his tray flying and himself face planting on the scuffed up flooring. Everyone started laughing and Zack blushed with embarrassment as he stood up, sauntering off as if nothing had happened.

Ethan smirked, “That sure showed him, right Gideon?”

Gideon nodded, “You know how to handle that idiot.”

“Yup! Let him fall on his own! I don’t even need to touch him, he makes a mockery of himself just fine!”

Gideon guessed he had used magic, but he didn’t say anything. He had seen the finger flick and knew a magical movement when he saw it. He bit into his cupcake, “All I’ll say is to be careful.”

“Why? He wouldn’t actually put peanuts in my lunch would he? Isn’t that like a ‘not allowed’ type rule here?”

“Well, it would be considered murder, but he can easily make it look like an accident”

“Yeesh, what’s his problem, anyway?”

Gideon shrugged, “No idea.”


	16. Purple Piano Player

“Math next, are you in my class?” Ethan asked, putting his lunchbox back into his backpack and checking his timetable a second time. Gideon pulled out his own and shook his head, “Nope, I’m in a different class for this” he replied, brushing away the peanuts so Ethan could get out from the booth seat.

“Which one?”

“English”

“What? Why would a school need to teach you your own language!?”

Gideon chuckled, “Well, they teach us about poetry, creative writing, and different types of words and stuff, make us write essays.”

“Ooohh, never mind.” the green-eyed boy muttered, stuffing his timetable back into his pocket and withdrawing his hand so he could use it to sling his backpack onto his shoulder. A separate piece fell from his pocket, knocked loose by his fist. Gideon reached down to pick it up and unrolled it from its messy, scrunched up form. Ethan had drawn Bill Cipher himself on the wrinkled paper, done in yellow pencil and coloured in. 

He wondered what Ethan knew about Weirdmegeddon, wondered what he knew about Bill. The boy hadn’t been there for the end of the world, and he sure hadn’t seen him about. Gideon watched Ethan hurry off to his next class and frowned, making a mental note to ask him later.

~

“I can do science, I can build anything my heart desires, but I. Can’t. Do. Math!!! WHY!?” Ethan screeched, banging his head on the table and making the other students look up at him with confused faces, others giggling at his outburst. The teacher waved his hand to get them to settle back into their work as he kneeled down beside the grumpy ten-year-old, “Ethan? Can you calm down, please?”

“Why is it so hard?”

The teacher took his work sheet and his pen from him, “It’s not hard, watch how I do it again” he insisted, scribbling down the process slowly for him so he could understand. Ethan groaned, trying to see the pattern that should make it easier for him. But his mind went dull and refused to cooperate, “It’s no use... I just don’t understand...” he grumped, he was supposed to be a smart kid.

“Perhaps you should consider coming after school... That way we can find a way you’ll understand this and get you the right tutor. I understand that being in high school at a younger age is hard, and there will be some places where you struggle-"

“After school!? Can’t you just give me some homework? My dad is smart and has like 12 PhD’s, I’m sure he can help me!”

“We can try that first, but, if that doesn’t work, we’ll try what I originally suggested, okay?”

“Okay...”

The bell rang and the classroom of students hurried to pack their things and head out the door, all of them eager to finish up with their last class of the day. Zack shoved him to the ground as he passed him, striding out the door with an evil chuckle and a side glance. Ethan sighed and got up off the floor, tucking his things into his backpack and heading to his History lesson.

Gideon was waiting at the door along with the other students, “Oh good, we have history together” he said, letting him in behind him in the longish line. Ethan nodded and peered into the classroom, frowning at the lesson plan on the board, “I bet you $5 they have their history wrong”

“What do you mean by wrong?”

Ethan waved his hand and shook his head, “Doesn’t matter, ignore me, you'll see.” he replied, entering the classroom as the teacher called for them, and taking a seat at his chosen desk. Zack purposely chose the desk behind him and kicked the back of his chair the entire time, blowing spitballs into his hair as he struggled to concentrate on his work. 

Halfway through the lesson he stood up, turned around, kicked Zacks desk over towards him and grabbed his bag as it threw the teen to the floor by the force of its decent. He ran out the room and headed down the hallway, brushing the spitballs out his hair as he growled and grumbled incoherently, flipping off the janitor and hissing in pain as he banged his shoulder on the water fountain. 

The faint sound of a piano being played caught his ears and a feeling of nostalgia filled his mind as memories of playing it as Bill filled his mind, the insanity of endless hours, self-teaching himself to play until he out-mastered the masters. 

He followed the noise to the music room and peeked inside to see who it could be that was playing the beautiful melody, their fingers soft and sure against the ivory keys. It was a boy who was playing that beautiful tune on the scuffed up piano, a teacher sitting beside him and writing something down on her clipboard as she noted his work down. He had curly black hair, and lilac-purple eyes, which were currently hidden under his closed eyes as he let the music flow around him.

Ethan’s eyes widened and his heart seemed to skip a beat. He could feel his palms getting damp as he watched and his mouth going dry. The music was so beautiful and the boy was so odd, but beautiful to. 

He snuck in, sitting down to watch nearby, drinking it all in, feeling the soft thumping beat in his chest and his bones. He knew this beat, knew the song he was playing and opened his mouth to sing along, his voice clear, and matching perfectly to the beat. The boy opened his eyes as he heard the singing and smiled, finishing up the song so he could get his marks from the teacher. 

Ethan clapped at the last note and smiled, “You play beautifully!”

“Thank you, you sing very well too”

“Really? That was the first time I’ve tried using my vocal chords for singing”

“Well, you must be naturally talented then.”

Ethan blushed, his green eyes catching the boys’s attention, “M-My name’s Ethan, Ethan Pines” the ten-year-old said, sticking out his hand awkwardly, his head hanging low as his cheeks burned. 

_Why was he so nervous!? Was he sick? Was he embarrassed by this?_

“My name’s Aaron, Aaron Strange, it’s nice to meet you too, Ethan, maybe you should take singing lessons... You’d be good at it” the lilac-eyed boy said, taking his hand and shaking it with a business-like grip. Ethan swallowed his nerves and pointed to the piano, “You think so? I uh.. can I try?”

“By all means, do you know how to play?”

“I used too, not sure if I still can” Ethan replied, sitting down on the firm chair and running his fingers over the keys. His green-eyes sparkled as he thought of a song, and muscle memory did the rest. 

The sweet melody danced around the room and the teacher smiled from her desk, tapping her foot gently to the beat as she marked Aaron’s grade. Ethan chuckled and took his hands away from the keys, “I still got it. So, how old are you?”

“Eleven, almost twelve, what about you?”

“Ten, I’ll be eleven in August”

“Cool, why did you ask?”

Ethan’s face went red, “N-No reason, just wanted to know” he said, looking up as the bell rang, “Oh, I have to go, dad will be waiting for me at the gates by now, nice to meet you!” he cried, picking up his backpack from by the door and rushing out as quickly as he could. Aaron smiled, “Nice to meet you too” he called after him, heading over to the teacher to take the sheet of paper she was holding out for him.

“Top marks, Mr Strange, keep it up.”

~

Ford was waiting for him at the gates, leaning on the fence post and trying not to look suspicious. Ethan waved at him happily as he appeared from the school building and grinned from ear to ear as he came to a stop at his feet, “Hey, have a good day without me?”

“Don’t say that, it’s been boring, I suddenly have time to do stuff... Anyway, how was school?”

“Great! History was lame, they had it all wrong, math was a nightmare, I almost blew up robotics class! And science was fun too, I made a friend... and a bully. His names Zack, he’s a jerk, threatened to slip a peanut into my lunch, the bastard. Oh, and I met this boy in the music room, his name’s Aaron, he’s a fantastic piano player!”

“I see... How did you blow up robotics class? Did you build a bomb?”

Ethan scoffed, “No, I built a teleporter, and the materials they had weren’t good enough, it blew up after one use”

“But teleporter’s have already been invented, why was yours special?” Ford asked, hurrying him over to the car as they weaved through the students and their parents. Ethan grumped at his fathers dumbness, “It was an upgrade from the ones the Time Police have, duh...” he replied, trailing off as he saw Aaron. 

He quickly hid behind Ford as the boy looked around for his dad, trying to spot the demon in the crowd. Ford frowned and looked down at his son in confusion, “What are you doing?” he asked, noticing the blush to his cheeks and the nervous look, “Is that the bully?” he asked, following his gaze.

“N-No, that’s Aaron”

“Oh, hang on, that’s Tad’s son”

“Tad Strange?”

“Yup”

“The demon, Tad Strange?”

“Yes, the kid’s half-demon, Tad married a human woman, I believe they’re divorced now.”

“So that’s why his eyes are such a pretty colour” Ethan muttered. Ford raised an eyebrow, “What? Come on, let’s go home.” he said, getting out his car keys and practically dragging his son to the car as he insisted on hiding behind his leg.

**(A/N: Sorry it took so long to update, I was really busy and still recovering from a nasty anxiety attack)**


	17. Authors Note

I don't think I can continue this fan fic, it's poorly written and it could have been better. But, I also need a huge break from writing due to anxiety, stress and numerous projects I need to get done. 

So, with a heavy heart I will be discontinuing this fan fic. 

~ Daniel


End file.
